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When a healthcare provider (HCP) peers into your eyes, what are they looking for? All kinds of things, as it happens.
"You can learn so much from the eyes. It's mind-blowing!" says integrative medicine specialist Robin Miller, MD, MHS. In addition to eye conditions, such as cataracts, HCPs can spot symptoms of other medical issues, including hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, diabetes, and even certain cancers.
With that in mind, here are nine ways changes in your vision can hold important clues to your health.
Sources: Kate Rauch. Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementi... + 31
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