Stress is the body’s natural response to any demand for change that interferes with its normal equilibrium. Whether the response is physical, mental, emotional, or visual, stress affects all of us to one degree or another. It can cause anxiety, depression, elevated blood pressure, digestive issues, migraines, and even vision changes. Most of the time stress-related eye issues are temporary. Chronic eye issue affects the health and normal function of your eyes. 

Stress affects vision:

When the body is stressed, your pupils dilate to allow more light to enter so you can see potential threats more clearly. However, high levels of adrenaline can cause pressure on the eyes, resulting in blurred vision. stress may be causing your eye twitching (also known as a lid myokymia) This lid “twitching” is a result of the continuous contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle. The twitching is typically in just one eye, benign and temporary. Stress also can lead to vision loss. Furthermore, stress not only causes new conditions but worsens existing conditions.

Work-related stress: It can be due to tight deadlines. Exacerbated by long hours staring at computer screens combined with a lack of sleep. This is the main reason for eyestrain and potentially even computer vision syndrome (CVS). This can manifest as severe headaches, redness in the eyes, irritated or watery eyes, and blurry vision.

Stress due to high blood pressure or hypertension: When blood pressure goes up, blood vessels in the eye can leak, which can lead to a loss of vision or poor sight.

Symptoms of poor vision due to stress:

• Tunnel vision 
• Light sensitivity 
• Twitching eyes 
• Overly dry or wet eyes can occur when you are stressed
• Blurred vision can range in severity and might come and go throughout the day.
• Eyestrain
• Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody
• Feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control or need to take control
• Having difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind
• Eye Floaters that swim across your vision may be linked to stress, as well as other eye health conditions

How to tackle this problem?

If anyone notices any of these symptoms, they can use a few techniques to help de-stress. Exercising and deep breathing both help relieve tension by relaxing the body and calming the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the fight-or-flight response. Also, a visit to an eye doctor can solve the vision problems long-term.