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.
Hundreds of studies and clinical trials have shown that stress can increase the risk of vision loss from eye diseases such as glaucoma, optic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration.
In fact, continuous stress and elevated cortisol levels negatively impact the eye and brain due to autonomous nervous system (sympathetic) imbalance and vascular dysregulation; hence stress may also be one of the major causes of visual system diseases such as glaucoma and optic neuropathy.
Sore, tired, burning or itching eyes. Watery or dry eyes. Blurred or double vision.
Anxiety, especially severe or chronic anxiety, can affect the eyes. Some people experience eye pain, blurry vision, double vision, and tunnel vision. Changes to the body during the “fight or flight” system are likely to blame. Distractions, exercise, and control over breathing can give your eyes some relief.
Anxiety can cause many eye problems and vision symptoms, such as seeing stars, shimmers, blurry vision, shadows, sensitivity to light, eye strain, tunnel vision, and others.
Common causes of blurry vision in one eye include refractive errors, infections, migraine, and cataracts. Most causes of blurry vision are not serious. However, it is important to consult a doctor about sudden or persistent blurry vision, as it could be a symptom of a condition that requires treatment.
While blurred vision often gets worse gradually, there are conditions that may cause blurring to start up suddenly. These types of conditions can be medical emergencies and include: Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). A steep increase in blood pressure.
Despite the fact that stress itself cannot cause eye floaters it can certainly make a pre-existing condition worse. Experiencing the above symptoms in conjunction to eye floaters you already see will make it seem like your eye floaters have increased.
A lack of sleep, smoke in the air, allergies or dry eye can sometimes cause a burning or gritty sensation in the eye. Artificial tears can alleviate the sensation. “But if you suspect an object in your eye is causing the irritation, go to an ophthalmologist.
An eye stroke, or anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, is a dangerous and potentially debilitating condition that occurs from a lack of sufficient blood flow to the tissues located in the front part of the optic nerve.
One common cause of cloudy vision is cataracts. These form in the lens of your eye. Cataracts are a normal part of aging. They occur when proteins in the lens break down over time and clump together.
Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody. Feeling overwhelmed, as if you are losing control or need to take control. Having a hard time relaxing and quieting your mind. Feeling bad about yourself (low self-esteem), and feeling lonely, worthless, and depressed.
This can be emotional or physical. We may feel toxic stress when we face strong, frequent, or prolonged challenges. These can include abuse, neglect, violence, or substance use in the home. These experiences can trigger our body's stress response. This response floods our body with "fight or flight" chemicals.
Anxiety and stress
When anxiety and stress become overwhelming, an anxiety attack or panic attack can ensue. Adrenaline levels increase during both of these events, which can cause physical symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision and tunnel vision (among other physical and emotional symptoms).
Your eyes undergo changes such as increased intraocular pressure (IOP) when you're stressed or anxious, whether for a short time or on a regular basis.
Depression and Vision
Clinically depressed individuals or people going through periods of intense stress are more likely to experience the following vision problems: Blurred vision: Individuals may experience a lack of sharpness in their vision, preventing them from seeing fine details clearly.
Keep in mind that it can take up to 20 minutes or more for the body to recover from a major stress response. But this is normal and needn't be a cause for concern. When hyperstimulation (chronic stress) causes blurry, distorted, or foggy vision, eliminating hyperstimulation will end this anxiety symptom.
The leading causes of blindness and low vision in the United States are primarily age-related eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.