John Cena says he ignored ongoing eye problems for far too long before finally learning he had a rare condition he didn’t even know existed.
While speaking with PEOPLE.com, Cena admitted he originally brushed off symptoms like redness, irritation, and crusty eyes because he assumed it was all just part of getting older. Cena explained that because his vision was already starting to change as he got older, he convinced himself the issues weren’t anything serious.
“I had a lot of redness and itchiness, and every once in a while, waking up with eye crusties and stuff.”
“Given my age — I’m 49 now — my vision was going a little bit, so I just figured it was par for the course.”
The WWE icon admitted he kept delaying a doctor visit because he assumed there were harmless explanations for the irritation. Cena believed the symptoms were probably caused by bright lights, spending too much time staring at screens, or simply aging. Eventually, he finally scheduled an eye exam — and got a diagnosis he had never even heard of before.
“Demodex blepharitis, which I didn’t even know existed.”
The condition is caused by microscopic mites affecting the eyelids. According to Cena, finally getting checked changed his entire perspective on taking eye health seriously. Cena also said the diagnosis and treatment process turned out to be far easier than he expected. Thankfully, Cena says the symptoms have now improved significantly.
“I recommend that everybody do the same. A regular eye checkup is just as important as taking care of your teeth or anything else.”
“The examination was easy. It’s certainly part of a regular eye exam, and the diagnosis was simple.”
“Now, I still need my readers, but I don’t have that redness, that itchiness and certainly not waking up with the crusties.”
At this point, Cena clearly isn’t embarrassed talking about the situation and seems more interested in making sure fans don’t make the same mistake he did by ignoring symptoms for too long. Even one of WWE’s toughest stars eventually had to stop assuming everything was “just getting older” and finally go get checked out.
Have you ever ignored a health issue thinking it was nothing serious before eventually getting it checked out? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.