Some lesser-known signs of serious health conditions could appear in the eyes. You may not realise that some subtle indicators in the eyes could signal issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and even arthritis.

Dimitra Skondra, retinal specialist and associate professor of ophthalmology and visual science at the University of Chicago Medicine, explained how the eyes might reveal more than you might think. Your eye exam can, therefore, discover any underlying health conditions.

She said: “The arrangement of blood vessels at the back of the eye, known as the retina vasculature, is closely connected to the health of your heart. That means issues we see in the eye can be directly linked to health problems with the heart and the vessels in your body.

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“Most eye exams include an inspection of the outside and inside of the eye. To do this, your ophthalmologist will use an ophthalmoscope to examine things such as pupil reflexes, the lens of your eye, the retina and the optic nerve.”

Prof Skondra listed a number of health issues that can be flagged by the eyes.

Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure is often symptomless. However, it can show up in the eyes.

Prof Skondra said: “In the eye, high blood pressure can cause retinopathy, or damage to the eye’s main blood supply. This can lead to bleeding in the eye, blurred vision, swelling, blood clots, damage to the nerve or even stroke in the retina with complete loss of vision.

“An eye specialist can look at the blood vessels in your eye and detect signs of high blood pressure or even diabetes - even without using a blood pressure cuff.” She referenced her own personal experience, saying: “I have had patients come in for a regular checkup, and I found some evidence of changes in the ratio or shape of retinal vessels or small blood clots in the eye.

“The clots were not affecting their vision, and the patients were discovered to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol.”

According to Prof Skondra , diabetes is “commonly” diagnosed through an eye exam. “In the eye, high blood sugar can bring about problems in the small blood vessels,” she said.

“If this occurs, a patient is at risk for developing diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to blindness and issues of the heart and kidneys. Diabetes also is linked to heart disease.

“Going blind from diabetes or developing cardiac issues does not have to happen. A simple eye exam can help a patient catch it early and put them on the path to proper treatment.”

It might seem unlikely, but symptoms in your eyes could also hint to joint problems and arthritis. She added: “Not only can heart problems be revealed through a routine eye exam; systemic inflammatory diseases that cause arthritis and inflammation in other parts of the body can also be detected.

“Many of these conditions can cause eye inflammation and can result in pain and redness and vision loss. Dry eye, for example, is commonly associated with these conditions. If severe and left untreated, it can cause damage to the cornea, the dome-shaped, clear surface of the eye.”