It’s all in the eyes: Optical scans can reveal presence of some diseases

By Geraldine Fitzgerald

The eyes may be the window to the soul, but they’re also a sensitive barometer of health.

Most of us are aware that an optometrist can spot signs of diabetes, glaucoma and cataracts, but it’s not widely known that optometrists can also spot symptoms of arthritis.

Kerril Hickey, Specsavers Ireland Chairperson and optician, explained: “As well as causing inflammation of the joints, some autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can also cause inflammation in the eyes. This inflammation usually leads to dry eye but occasionally it can cause more serious conditions like inflammation of the white part of your eyes (sclera), which can lead to scleritis. Other symptoms can include double vision and drooping eyelids.”

It all makes sense when you consider the eye is primarily made up of collagen, and so are your ligaments, tendons and all the tissue within your joint spaces. This similarity of composition means that the eye is often affected by the same diseases that can affect joints, like arthritis, lupus and a host of other issues. Consider the eye as the ‘canary in a coalmine’ - a sentinel of potential problems.

Mr Hickey added: “We recommend you have a routine eye test at least every two years to monitor your eye health over time. Although if you are concerned about any changes in your vision, it’s important to book an eye test to get them looked at.

“Your optometrist will be able to carry out a number of different tests to spot any signs of an autoimmune eye condition and may also recommend that you have an optical coherence tomography scan (OCT scan). This will allow them to see what is going on beneath the surface of the eye and can help detect conditions in their early stages which may not have presented any symptoms.”

Further information is available at specsavers.ie/eye-health/oct-scan/conditions/autoimmune-eye-disease-detection.