Looking Into Your Health

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It goes without saying that eyes are incredibly important – but their value is far greater than most of us know. Beyond helping us to experience all the beauty and wonders around us, they also provide a glimpse into our overall health and well-being.

In fact, here’s what an optometrist has the expertise and equipment to detect simply by taking a closer look at the blood vessels, structure and function of your eyes during a routine, comprehensive eye exam:

  • high blood pressure                            
  • diabetes
  • thyroid disease
  • kidney disease
  • tumors
  • inflammatory diseases
  • high cholesterol
  • blocked arteries
  • swollen nerves
  • multiple sclerosis
  • various cancers
  • carotid artery disease

“A variety of systemic diseases are manifested in the eyes before they manifest themselves in the body,” says Dr. Nisara Bandali, an optometrist who practices in Brampton, Ontario.

Having that ability to take a deeper look at your systemic health is what makes your optometrist such a critical member of your overall healthcare team, particularly as you age. That’s why optometrist Dr. Trisha Beal believes the commonly heard phrase, “but that has nothing to do with my eyes!” is problematic. In fact, your eyes may be the first place where certain diseases are showing signs or symptoms during their earliest stages.

So not only can optometrists help you to understand and then correct vision changes that are common with age, they can also detect serious diseases that can affect the entire body – and possibly even save your life in the process.

Find your local optometrist at findaneyedoctor.ca

Insight 20/20 is a partnership between ZoomerMedia and the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) designed to help Canadians 45+ learn more about vision care, eye health and the vital role optometrists play as a member of your overall healthcare team.

Visit www.everythingzoomer.com/insight2020 to share your questions and concerns about your eye health with optometrists from across Ontario.