Your eyes serve as the windows to your soul. Doctors say that they can also reveal which health problems you are at higher risk based on the color of their irises. In some instances, the whites of your eyes can also be used as indicators of issues that are currently taking place inside your body.
Make sure that you repost this article on your various social media sites to also let your family and friends know what their eye colors are saying about their health.
People With Light-Colored Irises are More Sensitive to Light
Do you have blue, green or gray irises? Then you are at higher risk of health issues that have something to do with the sun’s harmful UV rays, according to medical professionals.
Irises that are light in color have fewer of that light-absorbing pigment compared to irises that are dark in color. That pigment capable of absorbing light is called “melanin” — yup, it’s the same pigment that’s found in dark-colored skin, and it’s also the one that gives light-skinned people a lovely tan each time they sunbathe.
Because of the absence of enough melanin in the irises, people with blue, green or gray eyes are at high risk of developing macular degeneration.
According to eye specialists, macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss that’s irreversible in older people. It happens when the macula, which is the tiny central part of the retina, degenerates. There are many different things that can increase a person’s risk of having macular degeneration. Some of them include advanced age, obesity, smoking, and there’s also exposure of the eyes to too much sun.
They are Also at Risk of Developing Skin Cancer
Generally speaking, people with fewer light-absorbing melanin pigments in their irises also have fewer melanin pigments in their skin. In other words, individuals with light-colored eyes also tend to have light-colored skin, too.
It’s for this reason why they are also vulnerable to skin cancer, according to doctors. You see, melanin is capable of shielding the skin from the UV rays given off by the sun — those UV rays are the ones that can cause skin cancer to strike. That is why individuals with fair complexion can benefit a lot from wearing sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
But it’s not just skin cancer that light-eyed people should watch out for. Experts say that they are also at high risk of uveal melanoma, which is cancer of the uvea that consists of various eye parts: the choroid, ciliary body and iris.
Individuals with brown eyes are lucky to have plenty of melanin in their irises as well as skin because they have reduced risk of having skin cancer and uveal cancer, but it does not necessarily mean that they are completely impervious to these — if they’re not careful, they can still end up with these health nightmares.
The Whites of the Eyes Have Something to Say, Too
Aside from the color of the irises, the color of the whites of the eyes can also reveal something about the health of the individual. By the way, the white part of your peepers is medically known as the “sclera”.
Eye specialists say that the sclera is supposed to be fairly bright white. Otherwise, there may be something wrong that’s taking place. For instance, having red whites may indicate eye dryness or irritation. People who are suffering from allergies may also notice that the whites of their eyes are reddish.
Having yellow whites is usually a telltale sign of jaundice, and it is usually accompanied by a yellow discoloration of the skin. Jaundice is a symptom of a problem concerning the liver, and having it warrants a trip to the doctor.
