According to Irish opticians, there are a number of signs of arthritis that can be found in our eyes.
While a quick look-over by an optician can result in spotting early signs of a number of illnesses, there are also things we may notice ourselves.
Professionals can spot a whole myriad of tell-tale signs and often check for changes to your vision, which can indicate glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts as well as wider health concerns such as high blood pressure and, in extreme cases, tumours.
However, it is not widely known that optometrists can actually spot symptoms of arthritis.
Kerril Hickey, Specsavers Ireland chairman and optician, says: “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 that we can see for ourselves include double vision and drooping eyelids.
This is reportedly because the eye is made up of tissues that are very similar to those of joints, meaning diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, which affects the joints, can also affect the eyes.
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.”
