Eye exams at Visions Optique and Eyecare in Scottsdale can serve as windows to your soul — but can also serve as indicators of any possible heart conditions. A routine exam can identify symptoms indicating problems in the cardiovascular system such as:

Attaining optimal health requires maintaining a nutritious diet, engaging in regular physical activity and visiting your primary care provider on an annual basis – along with an eye exam! But equally essential to good eye health is an annual dilated eye exam!

1. Amaurosis Fugazx

Your eyes may be the windows to your soul, but they can also reveal signs of heart disease. A comprehensive eye exam with a physician in North Scottsdale can help keep track of your health and avoid further issues down the line.

Acute monocular blindness (AMB) is typically caused by embolisms in the main blood vessel that supplies blood to the retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of your eye), in which a piece of plaque or clot blocks an artery, temporarily impairing vision for minutes at most; sometimes this could signal a more serious and permanent stroke event.

Amaurosis fugax may be caused by many different factors. This could include blood clots in one or more arteries in the head or neck (carotid artery disease), complications of giant cell arteritis, collagen vascular diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus or systemic lupus erythematosus; brain tumors, migraine headaches or seizures may all contribute.

Immediately seek medical help if you experience this condition; otherwise it could result in permanent blindness. Once seen by your physician, steps will be taken to treat its cause.

Amaurosis Fugax is usually caused by atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries. People who exhibit risk factors for atherosclerosis such as diabetes, smoking, a family history of cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol are more prone to develop plaque that breaks loose and travels towards the retina.

Doctors can treat amaurosis fugax with medications or surgery. Anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs may help prevent further blood clots from forming while endarterectomy involves clearing away blockages in the carotid endarterectomy procedure. According to one recent study, those treated early for carotid endarterectomy experienced no recurrence of vision loss and reduced rates of hemispheric strokes – further evidence that early treatment reduces risks.

2. Chronic Hypertension

Eye exams performed by qualified physicians may reveal signs of serious health conditions or diseases before you notice symptoms in other parts of your body, which often manifest through damage to blood vessels or nerves reflected in the eye. Therefore, regular eye examinations are important.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is an increasingly prevalent health condition which, left untreated, can have serious repercussions for both body organs and their surrounding systems. Hypertension occurs due to blood pressurizing arteries which strain against their walls putting immense pressure on organs within your body causing permanent damage if left untreated – symptoms include blurred vision, headaches, ear ache and fatigue; an estimated 1.28 billion people worldwide suffer from it.

People at greater risk for hypertension include those who have a family history and/or other medical conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease, being overweight, smoking excessively, taking large quantities of salt at once and stress related medications as well as being on certain medications themselves.

Chronic hypertension can have adverse effects on both eyes, leading to glaucoma – an eye disease in which high pressure builds up inside, leading to the closure of small blood vessels in the retina, leading to eye damage as well as vision loss or blindness.

Hypertension can have serious repercussions during gestation. Women diagnosed with chronic hypertension are at greater risk of preeclampsia; therefore it’s crucial that pregnant women whose blood pressure remains high take precautionary steps during their gestations such as monitoring it closely or receiving appropriate medication to control it if required.

3. Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes damages delicate blood vessels throughout the body, including in the eyes. Diabetes-related damage to retina (the inner tissue lining that receives light and transmits images to the brain) leads to diabetic retinopathy – vision problems as it progresses. Over time, deteriorating blood vessels bleed or leak fluid onto retina; they also enlarge to form balloon-like sacs which leak exudates onto it and blur vision further; in more advanced stages retina detachments occur from behind eyes altogether.

Diabetic Retinopathy can be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam that includes dilation of the pupils in order to get a closer view of retinal blood vessels and damage. Furthermore, an eye doctor may use other testing instruments like optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography in order to ascertain leakage levels as well as retinal damage levels.

At its early stages, diabetic retinopathy may go undetected for some people who remain unaware that they have the condition. Therefore, it’s crucial that all those living with diabetes undergo at least one comprehensive eye exam every year in order to detect diabetic retinopathy early and immediately seek treatment – studies have revealed that yearly eye exams could prevent up to 90% of vision loss caused by diabetes if detected early and treated quickly.

Maintaining optimal blood sugar levels will reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy by slowing its progress, such as by following a healthy diet and exercise routine as prescribed by your physician, as well as taking prescribed medication as directed. Your doctor may recommend laser surgery to reduce swelling in the retina and to remove abnormal blood vessels. Other treatments could include injections of special fluid that reduce swelling while simultaneously preventing new ones from forming. By combining these treatment options, you can help protect both your vision and the health of other organs and tissues such as the heart, kidneys, feet and nerves. Furthermore, eye exams provide an excellent way to detect other chronic conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, anemia Crohn’s disease rheumatoid arthritis or Graves disease.

4. High Cholesterol

High cholesterol causes an accumulation of fat deposits in blood vessels, increasing risk for cardiovascular disease. Eyes can also be affected by this condition – white or gray rings around the iris of the eye can be a telltale sign that high cholesterol is present, typically seen among older adults but possibly also children suffering familial hypercholesterolemia. Other symptoms of elevated levels are yellow-colored bumps on skin near elbows, knees, and hands called “xanthelasma,” which are built-up cholesterol deposits.

Recent evidence suggests that comprehensive eye exams may assist patients living with certain chronic conditions to reconnect with primary care and specialists for treatment, leading to improved outcomes and increasing likelihood of continued medical attention for other conditions as well.