Your eyes are talking to you. What do they say about your health?

Stubborn dark circles sweeping to your cheeks, and red, pain stained bloodshot eyes are something most people will be familiar with. While the immediate assumption we jump to is a lack of sleep, nutritionists say that dark circles and bloodshot eyes can be a sign of anaemia, food intolerances and serious eye conditions, such as glaucoma.

Furthermore, if the whites of your eyes appear yellow, experts warn it can be a sign of the potentially fatal liver disease, hepatitis as well as jaundice and liver dysfunction.

Have a look at these seemingly harmless ways your eyes can reveal underlying health conditions…

DARK CIRCLES

Dark circles under the eyes are one of the most common eye issues that people struggle with.  Our Easy Eye Solutions will certainly help decrease the intensity of your dark circles if not eliminate them altogether.  However, let’s look at the possible causes and additional solutions.

We are all aware that lack of sleep is perhaps the most obvious cause. We’ve all experienced the rush in the morning after a late night, perhaps applying thick concealer to try and mask exhaustion.

On average, sleep experts agree, seven or eight hours a night of good quality sleep is best.

And that should be enough to erase the dark circles. But, nutritionists warn, if sleep isn’t enough to help, it could indicate a series of other health issues.

‘There are two potential health causes: thyroid problems or anaemia.

Often replenishing your iron levels can help anemia.

To get the most of iron from foods include in your diet red, lean meat, liver, egg yolks, lentils, chickpeas and seeds.

With this mineral, it’s not how much of it we consume, but how well we absorb it.

Coffee and tea can significantly slow down its absorption, so you might want to cut down on them.

Dark circles around the eyes can be a sign of tiredness, but if they fail to disappear after good sleep it could be a sign of a thyroid problem

On the other hand, vitamin C can help the absorption, so reach for red peppers, broccoli, kale and berries.

Also iron supplements can also help reverse deficiency.

YELLOW WHITES OF THE EYES

As with many other eye symptoms, it is important to see your doctor if the whites of your eyes look yellow.

The symptom can be a sign of potentially fatal liver disease, and should not be ignored.

This can potentially be due to conditions such as hepatitis, liver dysfunction, bile duct obstruction or jaundice.

If you have seen your doctor and ruled out these causes, then most likely, it could be that your liver needs extra support.

Try following these simple steps:
• Cutting down on alcohol (or giving yourself a complete break for a month or two)

• Cutting out processed foods and vegetable oils, and reducing your intake of sugar and white flour

• Increasing your vegetable intake – they provide fiber to bind bile and toxins in the gut, as well as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to support detoxification In particular, eating bitter greens such as rocket and watercress, and cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, kale and cauliflower

• Eating eggs, onions and garlic – they provide sulphur compounds that support liver detoxification pathways

• Taking liver support supplements that contain choline, which contributes to normal liver function, as well as milk thistle, artichoke, broccoli sprout concentrate, and a range of antioxidant-rich whole food extracts

• Drinking warm water with a squeeze of lemon juice first thing in the morning to cleanse your body from toxins

BLOODSHOT EYES

If you’re experiencing red or bloodshot eyes it’s wise to see your doctor in the first instance.

Serious conditions like conjunctivitis, blepharitis, uveitis and glaucoma can all result in redness.

But, there are also other, less serious explanations often triggered by your daily life.

For most, working at a computer for at least eight hours a day is the norm. And as a result bloodshot eyes could be a sign of eye-strain.

We tend to blink less frequently in front of the screen – about one third as often as we usually do.

Make sure you’re giving your eyes a break every now and then – at least for five to 10 minutes once an hour, and preferably looking away and into the distance every 15 minutes or so.

If you’re experiencing eye-strain it can also be worth having an eye test to see if you need glasses or to have your prescription changed.

The condition can also be caused by a weakening of the capillaries, a condition called capillary fragility.

Other symptoms you may notice include nosebleeds or easy bruising.
If this is the cause, it’s vital to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin C from a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, red pepper and kiwi.

Taking a daily supplement of vitamin C with bioflavonoids could also be helpful.

Bloodshot eyes, like itchy eyes, can also be the result of an allergy.

‘If you’re also experiencing other allergic or hay fever-type symptoms such as sneezing or general eye irritation, then try a natural antihistamine supplement that will bring relief.

DRY EYES

For many, the uncomfortable feeling of having sand in the eyes is a familiar one.

The gritty feeling could be a sign you’re suffering dry eye syndrome..

This gritty sensation may be caused by age, for example in post-menopausal women, taking certain medications, environmental factors as well as deficiency in vitamin A.

True vitamin A is only found in animal foods – especially liver, other organ meats and cod liver oil; with some in egg yolks, butter, fish, other meats and grass-fed dairy products.

Although vegetables are often said to contain vitamin A, they don’t – they only contain beta-carotene or pro-vitamin A, which the body may only convert to vitamin A in very small amounts, as little as three per cent.
So, how can we top up vitamin A levels?

The best way is to eat a small serving of liver once or twice a week.
Or take a good-quality cod liver oil supplement or make sure you’re regularly eating the other animal foods listed above.

PUFFY EYES

In addition to using the Easy Eye Solutions product line, you can try a cooling cucumber slice, or a teabag from the freezer.  Keep in mind that the Easy Eye Solutions are not just a quick fix but will improve the eye area over time.

But, is there a health issue that needs to be looked at?

Puffy eyes may be related to an imbalance between sodium and potassium in your diet – specifically, too much sodium, which means basically salt.

Most processed foods tend to be high in added salt, providing high doses of sodium but very little potassium – these include breads, cereals, sauces, processed meats and snack foods.

In contrast, vegetables contain much more potassium than sodium and better match the natural balance that we should be getting.

Cutting down on processed foods, avoiding adding salt to your foods and increasing your fresh vegetable intake can help.

In addition, puffy eyes can also be a sign that you’re kidneys require extra support.

Drinking enough water is the most important step here, to ensure you’re well hydrated.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which are diuretics and can make the problem worse.

Nettle and dandelion leaf teas can also be beneficial.