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When we are severely stressed and anxious, high levels of adrenaline in the body can cause pressure on the eyes, resulting in blurred vision. People with long-term anxiety can suffer from eye strain throughout the day on a regular basis. Anxiety causes the body to become highly sensitised to any slight movement.

Stress impacts us mentally and physically, but did you know it can also affect our vision?

Stress is a common response to demands of daily life and is a normal part of everyday life, but when it becomes excessive or chronic, it can lead to some serious health issues and our eyes are certainly no exception.

When we are severely stressed and anxious, high levels of adrenaline in the body can cause pressure on the eyes, resulting in blurred vision. People with long-term anxiety can suffer from eye strain throughout the day on a regular basis.

Anxiety causes the body to become highly sensitised to any slight movement. Over time the strain from other senses can cause muscular tensions and headaches.

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS-RELATED VISION IMPAIRMENT: [1]

• Sensitivity to light and movement; light may hurt your eyes or make it difficult for you to concentrate and focus.
• Eye twitching; eyes can randomly spasm, with no pain but discomfort.
• Very dry or very wet eyes; both can be a symptom, however, it can also be caused by other issues.
• Blurry vision; finding it hard to concentrate, or focus.
• Eye strain; discomfort or minor pain as a result of your eyes feeling tight and swollen.
• Eye floaters; tiny spots that swim across your vision.

Stress can impair your vision in multiple ways. It may contribute to dry eyes, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other eye diseases. It's always a good idea to speak with a doctor if you notice any changes to your vision.

Chronic stress may speed up the development of eye diseases like macular degeneration or glaucoma. In the short term, stress and behaviors related to stress may contribute to dry eyes.

Stress can also lead to psychogenic blindness. This is blindness with a psychological cause and no known structural problem.

The idea that stress may lead to vision loss isn’t new. It’s believed to date back at least 3,000 years.

Science has come a long way since then, but modern research also supports the idea that stress may contribute to vision loss.

Can stress cause blurry vision?

Stress can potentially contribute to the development of blurry vision in several ways, such as:

• Drying out your eyes: In a 2022 review of studies, researchers found that dry eye disease was associated with depression and anxiety. Blurry vision is a potential symptom of dry eyes.
• Medication side effects: Some medications used to treat anxiety or stress, such as tricyclic antidepressants, can lead to symptoms like pupil dilation and blurry vision.
• Lead to retinal disease: Research suggests that perceived stress is a risk factor for central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). CSCR results in fluid collection in the macula (the central part of the retina), which can cause blurry vision.
• Glaucoma: In a 2021 study, researchers found evidence that anxiety and depression contributed to the progression of glaucoma. Blurry vision is often one of the first symptoms of glaucoma.[2]

Here are a few ways anxiety can lead to visual symptoms:

1. Pupil Dilation: Adrenaline causes the pupils to dilate, allowing more light to enter the eyes. This can lead to temporary blurred vision as the eyes struggle to adjust to the increased light.
2. Eye Strain: Anxiety often leads to increased muscle tension, including in the muscles around the eyes. This tension can cause eye strain and, consequently, blurred vision.
3. Hyperventilation: Mental stress can lead to rapid and shallow breathing, or hyperventilation. This can decrease carbon dioxide levels in the blood, affecting the oxygenation of the brain and eyes, and resulting in blurred vision.
4. Dry Eyes: Anxiety can reduce the production of tears, leading to dry eyes, which can cause blurred vision and discomfort.

How to stop blurry vision from anxiety? Lifestyle Changes
Regular Exercise: Engage in regular physical activity to reduce overall anxiety levels and improve blood flow to the eyes. Healthy Diet: Consume a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals that support eye health, such as Vitamin A, C, and E.[3]

Reference:

1. whitbyandco.com/stress-on-your-eyes
2. healthline.com/health/stress/stress-blindness
3. vision-specialists.com/binocular-vision-dysfunction/symptoms/anxiety

WHAT SPECIFIC PORTIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM CAUSE EYE DAMAGE?

With sufficient magnitude almost all portions of the electromagnetic spectrum can cause damage to the eye.
For example: Lasers of a wide variety of wavelengths from the short wavelength UV (Excimerlaser for LASIK) through the visible spectrum (Argon laser for diabetic retinopathy) to short wavelength IR (YAG laser for iridotomy and capsulectomy) are used to “damage” eye tissue in the treatment of various eye conditions.
However, in our “natural” environments with natural and man-made lights, the most offending portions of the EM spectrum are the UV-A (315 nm to 400 nm), UV-B (280 nm to 315 nm), and “blue-light” portion of the visible spectrum (380 nm to 500 nm). Our atmosphere generally protects us from UV radiation below 280 nm.
Additionally, as the cornea and crystalline lens absorbs almost all natural UV radiation, UV radiation is thought to cause damage to the anterior eye, while short visible light (“blue-light”) can cause damage to retinal structures. Also, as the damaging processes are thought to be at least partially photochemical in nature, the damaging effects can be cumulative in nature, which may compound across one’s lifetime.

can Bright Light Damage Your Vision?

In short, yes, staring at bright lights can damage your eyes. When the retina’s light-sensing cells become over-stimulated from looking at a bright light, they release massive amounts of signaling chemicals, injuring the back of the eye as a result.

The sun shines with such intensity that staring directly at it for just a few seconds can cause permanent retinal damage. Chronic exposure to UV rays over many weeks, months or years can also harm the macula, cornea and lens. A damaged macula leads to macular degeneration. A “sunburned” cornea can cause blurry vision and loss of eyesight. A damaged lens may develop a cataract, or clouding of the lens that blurs vision.

Blue light, even at moderate intensity levels, can damage your retinas slowly over time. Blue light has shorter wavelengths than warmer light, so it has more energy. Prolonged exposure may increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Sunlight is the most prominent source of blue light, but other examples include fluorescent lights, LEDs, TVs, computer monitors and Smartphone screens.

How to Treat and Prevent Eye Problems from Bright Light

Protect your vision with these tips:

• Choose glasses with anti-reflective lenses to reduce glare from bright lights.
• Wear dark-tinted sunglasses and a brimmed hat while outside. Polarized sunglasses with UV protection further shield your eyes from the effects of blue light and ultraviolet rays.
• Decrease daily screen time and take frequent breaks to rest your eyes.
• Turn on your computer’s “night light” feature to decrease the amount of blue light the screen emits.
• Wear blue-blocking computer glasses with yellow-tinted lenses that ease digital eyestrain.
• Choose CFLs and LEDs that emit “warm” light.
• If you require cataract surgery, seek blue-blocking intraocular lens (IOL) implants to protect your retinas the same way sunglasses do.

Reference:

• aoa.org/AOA/Documents/Education/Education_PDFs/Blue%20Light%20and%20Eye%20Damage.pdf
• gersteineye.com/blog/2018/08/how-does-bright-light-affect-your-vision