Your eyes are one of your most relied-on senses. They allow you to perceive the world around you and are essential for your day-to-day life. But some factors may affect your eye health and your vision. Stress is one of them. How does stress affect your vision and eyesight exactly?
Stress Hormone
When you are stressed, your brain releases a powerful hormone called “cortisol”. It is gradually released into your body in response to stress and causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration and muscle tension. During times of crisis, cortisol is also noted to be powerful enough to regulate one’s digestive and reproductive systems. This hormone, while extremely important, is also the cause of eye health issues and problems with vision. Stress can come from a lot of things like anxiety-inducing thoughts, physical crisis, mental problems and many more. Remember to exercise and practice a healthy lifestyle, in both body and mind.
Effects of Stress on Eyesight
When your body senses stress, it causes adrenaline to surge through your system and makes your pupils dilate to let in more light into your eyes and perceive things better and clearer. This happens because the more light that enters your eye, the clearer you’ll be able to see, and the better you’ll be able to perceive more threats that can harm you. Though the longer your eyes stay dilated, the more sensitive you’ll become to light and will lead to eye twitching and tightening of eye muscles, which can cause severe discomfort and other vision-related problems. If you’re currently experiencing these problems, it is best to contact your trusted optometrist to have your eyes examined immediately.
Aside from light sensitivity, some examples of eyesight and vision problems from the effects of stress are:
- Excessive wetness or dryness of the eyes
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty in focusing or concentrating
- Eye strain, felt through discomfort and flashes of pain, with your eyes feeling like they’re tight or swelling
- Eye floaters, tiny spots and squiggly lines that swim across your vision.
- Dizziness and headaches
Thankfully, the more common effects are temporary. Once you get enough rest or eliminate the problem that is causing you to be stressed out or anxious, the hormones in your system should settle down, effects should subside, and you’ll feel more comfortable.
Contact Us!
Want to get rid of your glasses and get LASIK eye surgery? Northern Virginia Doctors of Optometry has been a leading and preferred provider of excellent and reputable optometric services since the 1970s! Our experienced doctors and staff perform comprehensive eye examinations and specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of eye conditions, diseases and problems. We also fit and recommend high-quality eyeglasses and contact lenses to help improve impaired vision. We are proud to state that it is our passion to provide each patient with a personalized experience utilizing state-of-the-art technology to evaluate, enhance and preserve vision and eye health.
For any inquiries, you can reach us at (703) 467-9080 or fill out our contact form to request an estimate. We proudly serve clients and patients in Arlington, VA.
