Did you know that your eyes might give away signs to diseases—and not just eye related diseases like cataracts and glaucoma? Signs of serious illnesses like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other hereditary diseases might display symptoms in your eyes. According to an article on WebMD, the eyes are the only place in the human body where you can see a bare nerve, artery or vein without surgery. Symptoms can appear in the eyes long before they become noticeable in the rest of the body.

That’s why it’s important for everyone to have a comprehensive eye exam by age 40. If you have a family history of eye conditions or diseases, you should get checked out earlier. In many cases, pending eye conditions and other illness may have silent symptoms, so don’t wait until you experience a problem. Prevention is the best medicine.