“The face is the mirror of the mind,

and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart.”

– St. Jerome.

Did you know that your eyes can reveal other secrets too? When an eye doctor looks at your eyes, he can know about many diseases … not just those affecting your eyes, but a few diseases which may be wrecking damage to your body too. Damage, that you may not even be aware of; but is caught by the discerning eye of a doctor.

Here is a look at how the presence of certain diseases can be detected by these eye conditions:

Yellowish colouration of the white of the eyes: This sign of jaundice indicates that you might be suffering from disorders of the liver or spleen like hepatitis or cirrhosis.

Protruding eyes: Though it may just be a trait that runs in families, bulging eyes could also be a sign of thyroid disorders.

Droopy eyelids: Though a droopy eyelid can be caused by something as simple as old age, it can also be caused by more severe conditions like strokes, brain tumours or myasthenia gravis (a disease in which there is muscle weakness).

Pale eyelids: The colour of the inside of your eyelid is a strong indicator of your iron levels. If this is paler than the normal pink, it suggests that you could have iron deficiency anaemia.

Twitching eye: Superstitions aside, a twitching eyelid can tell a lot about your body. It can be caused by mundane issues like stress, tiredness, dry eyes, eye strain, coffee and alcohol. Also, it can indicate a lack of magnesium in your diet.

Bags under the eyes: Usually harmless, bags under the eyes could also be a sign of serious heart, kidney or liver troubles.

Rings around the iris: A whitish ring around the coloured part of the eye called the iris can be normal in the elderly. A rare disorder called Wilson’s disease can cause copper to accumulate in various tissues of the body. When it deposits in the eye, it is seen as a dark coloured ring encircling the cornea.

Disappearing Eye brows: When the outer third of your eyebrows start disappearing, it could be a sign of thyroid disorders.

Yellowish patches on eyelids: Xanthelasma or yellowish patches on the upper or lower eyelids, most commonly at the inner corner of the eye often indicate high levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Retinal examination: When an eye doctor looks into your eyes to see the back of the eye, he can detect diseases like diabetes, multiple

sclerosis, high blood pressure, brain tumour, SLE (a disease involving the immune system).