• Feel Good Contacts
  • 01 514 3614
  • Need Optical Advice?
  • OFFERS
    • 10% off First Order
    • 5% off on Auto Replenish
    • Glasses up to 70% off
    • Sunglasses up to 60% off
    • Refer a Friend
    • Earn Reward Points
    • Student Discount
    • Download Mobile App for FREE
  • Contact Lenses
    Top Brands
    • Acuvue
    • Air Optix
    • Alcon / Ciba Vision
    • Bausch & Lomb
    • Biofinity
    • Clariti
    • Comfi
    • Cooper Vision
    • Focus Dailies
    • Freshlook
    • All Brands
    Type
    • Daily Contact Lenses
    • Monthly Contact Lenses
    • Two Weekly Contact Lenses
    • Toric/Astigmatism Lenses
    • Multifocal Contact Lenses
    • Coloured Contact Lenses
    • Cheap Contact Lenses
    • Next Day Contact Lenses
    • Extended Contact Lenses
    • Silicone Hydrogel Lenses
    • No Prescription Lenses
    Top Sellers
    • comfi Daily Disposable
    • 1 Day Acuvue Moist
    • Dailies AquaComfort Plus
    • Acuvue Oasys 1-Day with HydraLuxe
    • Acuvue Oasys
    • 1 Day Acuvue Moist For Astigmatism
    • Air Optix Aqua
    • FreshLook Colorblends
    • Biofinity
    • 1 Day Acuvue Moist Multifocal
    Buyer's Guide
    • Save with comfi
    • Which comfi is for you?
    • How to put in contact lenses
    • How to clean your contact lenses
    • Guide to Astigmatism
    • Glasses prescription vs contact lens prescription
    • Best contact lenses for dry eyes
    View All Contact Lenses
    feel good contacts menu feel good contacts menu
  • Solutions
    Top Brands
    • Boston
    • Biotrue
    • Comfi
    • EasySept
    • Ote Optics
    • Opti Free
    • OxySept
    • ReNu
    • Total Care
    • All Brands
    Type
    • Multi Purpose Solutions
    • Saline Solutions
    • Peroxide Solutions
    • Travel Pack Solutions
    • Rigid & Gas Permeable
    • Multi Pack Solutions
    Top Sellers
    • comfi All-in-One Solution
    • Biotrue Multi-Purpose Solution Twin Pack
    • Delta Plus Disinfecting Soaking and Wetting Solution
    • ReNu Multi-Purpose Solution Triple Pack
    • Opti-Free Express Twin Pack
    • Opti-Free RepleniSH Twin Pack
    • Refine One Step Solution - 250ml Triple Pack
    Buyer's Guide
    • How to clean and store soft lenses
    • Which contact lens solution do I need?
    • How to clean a contact lens case
    View All Solutions
    feel good contacts menu feel good contacts menu
  • Eye Care
    Top Brands
    • Altacor
    • Artelac
    • Biotrue
    • Comfi
    • Blink
    • Hycosan
    • Optase
    • Systane
    • The Body Doctor
    • The Eye Doctor
    • Thea
    Eye Care
    • Eye Drops
    • Eye Accessories
    • Dry Eye Treatments
    • Supplements & Hygiene
    • Face Masks
    • Covid Essentials
    • Travel Essentials
    Top Sellers
    • comfi Soothe Drops
    • Blink-N-Clean Eye Drops
    • Blink Intensive Tears Vials
    • Clinitas Soothe Multi
    • Feel Good Contact Lens Case
    • Feel Good Cleaning Kit
    • Hycosan Extra Dry Eye Drops
    • The Eye Doctor Lid Wipes
    • Thera-Pearl Eye Mask
    • The AB Mask Anti-Fog Cloth
    Buyer's Guide
    • How to use eye drops
    • How to stop itchy eyes from hay fever - for good
    • Computer Eye Strain:
      Symptoms and Solutions
    View All Eye Care
    feel good contacts menu feel good contacts menu
  • Glasses
    Gender
    • Women
      Glasses for women
    • Men
      Glasses for men
    Brands
    • Calvin Klein
    • Chloe
    • DKNY
    • Dolce & Gabbana
    • EARTH
    • Emporio Armani
    • Farah
    • Feel Good Collection
    • Gucci
    • Hugo Boss
    • Lacoste
    • Le Specs
    • Marc Jacobs
    • MaxMara
    • Michael Kors
    • Oakley
    • O'Neill
    • Polaroid
    • Polo Ralph Lauren
    • Prada
    • Radley
    • Ralph by Ralph Lauren
    • Ray-Ban
    • Superdry
    • Tommy Hilfiger
    • Versace
    • Vogue
    Frame Shapes
    • Aviator Aviator
    • Oval Oval
    • Rectangle Rectangle
    • Round Round
    • Square Square
    • Wayfarer Wayfarer
    • Clubmaster Clubmaster
    • Cat Eye Cat Eye
    • Butterfly Butterfly
    • Hexagonal Hexagonal
    Special Offers
    • Clearance
    • New Arrivals
    • Best Sellers
    Price Range
    • €7 - €30
    • €30 - €70
    • €70 - €100
    • €100+
    Advice & Top Tips
    • Glasses prescription
    • Glasses frame size guide
    • Glasses lens options
    • Glasses lens coatings
    • How to tighten my glasses
    • Lens packages
    • Glasses tints
    View All Brands View Blue Light Glasses View Sustainable Glasses
    feel good contacts menu feel good contacts menu
  • Sunglasses
    Gender
    • Women
      Sunlasses for women
    • Men
      Sunglasses for men
    Brands
    • Calvin Klein
    • Carrera
    • Chloe
    • Dolce & Gabbana
    • Dunlop
    • Feel Good Collection
    • Gucci
    • Hugo Boss
    • Jimmy Choo
    • Kendall + Kylie
    • Lacoste
    • Le Specs
    • Linda Farrow
    • Oakley
    • O'Neill
    • Persol
    • Polaroid
    • Police
    • Prada
    • Radley
    • Ray-Ban
    • Saint Laurent
    • Superdry
    • Tommy Hilfiger
    • Versace
    • Victoria Beckham
    • Vogue
    Frame Shapes
    • Aviator Aviator
    • Oval Oval
    • Rectangle Rectangle
    • Round Round
    • Square Square
    • Wayfarer Wayfarer
    • Wrap Wrap
    • Clubmaster Clubmaster
    • Cat Eye Cat Eye
    • Butterfly Butterfly
    • Hexagonal Hexagonal
    • Octagonal Octagonal
    • Heart Heart
    Advice & Top Tips
    • Sunglasses tints
    • Face shape guide
    • Types of sunglasses
    • UV protection guide
    Special Offers
    • Clearance
    • New Arrivals
    • Best Sellers
    Lens Coatings
    • Polarised
    • Mirrored
    • Gradient
    Price Range
    • €15 - €50
    • €50 - €80
    • €80 - €120
    • €120+
    View All Brands View Collections
    feel good contacts menu feel good contacts menu
  • Help
    Customer Information
    • Contact Us
    • Delivery Information
    • Returns & Exchange
    • FAQ
    Customer Advice
    • Eye Care Hub
    • Optical Advice
    • Free Eye Test
    • Advice on Covid-19
    Popular Content
    • No Prescription Needed
    • Contact Lens Prescription
    • Glasses Prescription
    • Guides to Brands
    Tools
    • Vision Simulator
    • Dry Eye Quiz
    feel good contacts menu feel good contacts menu
  • Blog
  • search feel good contacts blog
  • search feel good contacts
  • 0
  • Reorder
  • Login Login
      feel good contacts menu
    • My Account
    • Orders
    • Personal Details
    • Log out
    feel good contacts menu
    Existing Customer

    We've sent you an email
    to reset your password.

    Enter your email address

    I would like to receive friendly reminders when it’s time to re-order. I am aware I can easily unsubscribe from these at any time.
    NEW Customer
    Forgot Password Cancel
Price match guarantee
Order by 5:45pm for same day dispatch
Excellent
Reward points
Sustainable Glasses
Home
Eye Care Hub
Arcus Senilis – What Does It Indicate?

Contact Lens Care

  • Which contact lens solution do I need?
  • How to clean a contact lens case?
  • How can I tell if my contact lens is inside out?

About Contact Lenses

  • How do toric contact lenses work?
  • What does the water content of a contact lens mean?

Eye Health

  • What are the best contact lenses for dry eyes?
  • How dehydration impacts your eyes?
  • Computer eye strain: Symptoms and solutions

Children's Eye Health

  • Why does my child get styes?
  • At what age can my child wear contacts?
  • How can I tell if my child has vision problems?

Lenses & Lifestyle

  • Which sunglasses will suit my face shape?
  • What are polarised sunglasses?
  • Guide to different types on sunglasses?

Prescriptions & Eye Tests

  • Difference between an Ophthalmologist, Optometrist & Optician
  • What does axis mean on my prescription
  • Can I buy my contact lenses online

Guides

  • A guide to Astigmastism
  • A guide to eye discharge
  • A guide to Presbyopia

Arcus Senilis – What Does It Indicate?

Medically reviewed by Christine Cancer on 6 June 2022

Arcus senilis, also known as corneal arcus, is a white, light grey or blueish arc or circle that develops around the edge of the cornea. It typically starts as an arc below and above the cornea but can grow, forming a complete ring. This arc is formed from fatty deposits (mostly cholesterol) known as lipids.

Arcus senilis is common among middle aged people, and almost everyone will get it as they age. If these rings begin to appear around middle age or later, there is usually nothing to worry about. However, if found in children, these arc-like rings can indicate high cholesterol.

Who is likely to get arcus senilis?

Older adults are more likely to get arcus senilis, especially if there is a family history of high cholesterol. Nevertheless, arcus senilis at middle age or later in life does not necessarily indicate high cholesterol. It is more common in men and African Americans. However, as people age, most are likely to get arcus senilis.

Does arcus senilis affect vision?

Arcus senilis does not affect vision or require treatment. However, it causes the discolouration of the cornea, which can make it appear as though the iris is two different colours.

In rare cases, children are born with arcus senilis. Rings that appear around the iris in childhood or young adulthood are referred to as arcus juvenilis. This can be a sign of health problems, including high cholesterol and should be seen by an ophthalmologist.

Causes of arcus senilis

Arcus senilis is caused by fat deposits (lipids) including Cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids. These fats come from the food we eat and are also produced by the liver. Our liver produces all the cholesterol needed by our bodies to make hormones and vitamins and build cells. Too much cholesterol; however, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

When we age, our blood vessels widen allowing more fats including cholesterol to enter the eye. Arcus senilis does not necessarily mean that one has high cholesterol.

Is arcus senilis serious?

Arcus senilis is not serious unless it signifies high cholesterol. High cholesterol can cause serious health issues, including cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease. Arcus senilis is not dangerous; however, high cholesterol can be.

Diagnosing arcus senilis

Your eye care professional/optician will be able to diagnose arcus senilis and may use a slit lamp test to examine your eyes.

They may also dilate your pupils during this exam using special eye drops. This can allow them to look at the blood vessels in the back of your eye for signs of eye disease. They will also examine the thickness of the blood vessels, checking for fat deposits.

If necessary, they may refer you to an ophthalmologist for further testing.

If you are under the age of 40 and present signs of arcus senilis, you may be referred for blood tests, which can check your cholesterol and lipid levels.

Treatment of arcus senilis

If arcus senilis is a sign of high cholesterol, treatment may involve medication and lifestyle changes to lower the level of cholesterol in your blood. Lifestyle changes can include:

  • Following a healthy diet – taking care to limit your intake of saturated fats and trans fats and making sure you eat foods high in soluble fibre such as apples and brussels sprouts
  • Exercising regularly – increasing your uptake of exercise and making it a regular habit can increase your good cholesterol levels. Just make sure you do this with your doctor’s advice
  • Cutting down on alcohol - consuming too much alcohol can lead to a higher risk of heart failure, strokes, as well as other health issues
  • Stopping smoking - this can improve your cholesterol level
  • Changing your diet and physical activity is not always enough for some people to lower their cholesterol. However, there are certain medications that can be prescribed in these instances.

    Does arcus senilis go away?

    Arcus senilis does not go away. It will neither fade nor disappear. However, it will not cause you blindness or any other vision problems and is often nothing to worry about unless it appears in younger people, in which case, it can be related to high cholesterol levels.

    Quick links:

    What is the effect of alcohol on the eye?
    A guide to double vision
    What is presbyopia?

People also searched:

comfi Soothe Drops comfi Daily Disposable Guide to Astigmatism Toric / Astigmatism Contact Lenses Best Contact Lenses for Dry Eyes Contact Lens Prescription Glasses Prescription Free Eye Test glasses Blue Light Glasses
Please wait
Why Us
  • 10% Off Your First Order
  • Price Match Guarantee
  • 5% Off with Auto-Replenish
  • Feel Good Contacts App
  • Save with comfi
  • Which comfi is for you?
  • Trustpilot Reviews
  • Student Discount
  • Reward Points
  • Reasons to Feel Good
Top Products
  • 1 Day Acuvue Moist
  • Dailies AquaComfort Plus
  • comfi Daily Disposable
  • Acuvue Oasys 1-Day with HydraLuxe
  • Dailies Total 1
  • Acuvue Oasys
  • 1 Day Acuvue Moist For Astigmatism
  • Air Optix Aqua
  • FreshLook Colorblends
  • Biofinity
Order Information
  • Optician Own Brand Contact Lenses
  • No Prescription Needed
  • Delivery Information
  • Returns and Exchange
  • Secure Online Shopping
  • Contact Lens Specifications
  • Optical Advice
  • FAQs
  • About Us
Contact Us
  • 01 514 3614
  • +44 7810 004 929 (WhatsApp)
  • +44 7810 004 929 (WhatsApp)
  • cs@feelgoodcontacts.ie
Customer Service Hours

Mon - Fri: 8:00am - 9:00pm
Sat - Sun: 9:00am - 5:30pm
Bank Holidays: 9:00am - 5:30pm

Download the app
Countries
  • feel good contacts united kingdom
  • feel good contacts ireland
  • feel good contacts france
Secure Payments Secure Payments
Secure Payments

Browse by Categories

  • Contact Lenses|
  • Contact Lens Solutions|
  • Glasses|
  • Blue Light Glasses|
  • Sunglasses|
  • Eye Drops|
  • Dry Eye Treatments|
  • Glasses up to 70% Off|
  • Sunglasses up to 60% Off

Browse by Contact Lens Type

  • Daily Contact Lenses|
  • Monthly Contact Lenses|
  • Two Weekly Contact Lenses|
  • Toric/Astigmatism Lenses|
  • Multifocal Contact Lenses|
  • Coloured Contact Lenses|
  • Cheap Contact Lenses|
  • Next Day Contact Lenses|
  • Extended Contact Lenses|
  • Silicone Hydrogel Lenses
©2023 Feel Good Contacts Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
T&Cs Privacy Policy Cookie Disclaimer Affiliate Program
Top