Did you know that bulging eyes are an early warning sign for Graves’ disease? It is an auto-immune disease that causes an overactive thyroid. The association between prominent eyes and the thyroid was first spotted in the 12th-century – so it’s been around for a while. If the whites of your eyes are yellowing, this could be a sign of jaundice, usually caused by problems with the liver or gallbladder. The odd colour indicates that you have a build-up of bilirubin, which is the by-product of dead red blood cells the liver has failed to process. Interestingly, eyelids can also be a tell-tale sign of ill health. Pale lids can mean you have anaemia, drooping lids often suggest you’re putting too much strain on the eye but can also be a rare indicator of lung cancer as tumours high in the chest can press on nerves affecting the eyes.
Hair
Going grey is often just a genetic inevitability, but sometimes going prematurely grey can be a sign of something more sinister. It can be a sign of anaemia, a condition in which the body cannot absorb vitamin B12. It could also show that you are stressed, as a recent study revealed that additional adrenaline caused by stress can damage DNA and turn your hair grey. Speak to your doctor if you’re going grey when it is uncommon in your family tree.
Skin
Your skin can be another clear warning sign of something being not quite right. Excessive itching, particularly on hands and feet, occasionally means that you could have poor liver function, which occurs when bile cannot flow freely into the digestive tract and just accumulates in the blood. Another great tip is that you can test yourself for dehydration. Pinch the skin on the back of your hand: if it does not immediately spring back into place you need to start drinking more.
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