They say that your eyes are the window to your soul…..but did you know that your eyes can actually reveal a lot about your overall health too? Directly linked to your liver, there are a number of ways that you can detect health problems just by looking at your eyes. On a very basic level, a healthy liver = healthy eyes and here are 4 tell tale signs to look out for when trying to detect potential liver problems.
1. Look at the Whites of Your Eyes
The whites of your eyes should be a healthy off white colour. Not everyone is born with that sparkling, youthful look but if you have yellowing around the eyeballs then you could have something called ‘Scleral Icterus’ which means jaundice in the whites of your eyes. This can actually indicate liver scarring, liver damage or even liver disease. This happens when there are high levels in Bilirubin in the blood and your liver is unable to break down old blood cells. If you have yellowing around the whites of your eyes (not to be confused with Pinguecula ), it could be worth booking a doctor’s appointment and getting a Bilirubin test.
2. Bumps on the Eyelids
Xanthelasma Palpebra is a condition where you get tiny little bumps on the eyelids. Also known as ‘cholesterol bumps’, these tiny little bumps could be a sign that you have high cholesterol. Because they look very similar to styes, it can be very easy to dismiss them but they could be a warning that your cholesterol levels are becoming problematic and that you have high fat stores in the liver. If this is left unchecked, you could be at risk from fatty liver disease further down the line.
3. Dry Eyes
Do you constantly suffer from dry, irritated eyes? At Select Specs, there are a number of products which can help to relieve dry eye symptoms (including Hycosan Dry Eye Eye Drops, Optrex Actimist 2-in-1 Spray, Systane Lubricant Eye Drops and The Eye Mask Hot Eye Compress which helps to soothe the eyes) but if your ailment is persistent, the problem could run a little bit deeper than expected…
Whilst dry eyes can be caused by numerous factors, coupled with other problems such as blurry vision / dizziness, fatigue and constant tiredness, floaters in the eye, poor vision at night, muscle cramps or problems with your menstruation cycle could suggest that you have a blood deficiency in the liver. This method of detection has long been used in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) but now these early indicators are being widely used in Western medicine too.
4. Bloodshot Eyes
We’ve all experienced bloodshot eyes after a serious lack of sleep or a heavy weekend of drinking. Toxins can really take a toll on our liver and this includes alcohol consumption, smoking, high sugar foods, fatty foods and a lack of healthy fruit and vegetables in our diet. The younger generation and today’s young working professionals live very different lifestyles where binge drinking and indulgent foods can have serious effects on the liver. If you are constantly waking up with bloodshot eyes, it could be an indication of liver inflammation. An inflamed liver could lead to fatty liver disease so it’s important to have a balanced, healthy diet and try to cut out alcohol and smoking.
