How Anxiety May Interfere With Your Eyes

Often when you think it’s time you went to ophthalmologist’s as you have been experiencing variety of visual problems (difficulty to notice flashes, see clearly, too bright/dark lights), you should probably re-consider, at least for now. As everything in our organism is connected, it is no surprise that anxiety is connected with vision too. Truth is, these eye symptoms with anxiety are very difficult to handle. The first reaction many have is to think there is something wrong with their brain whenever they experience any change in their vision or dizziness. The way anxiety reflects on your eye problems isn’t a sign of an illness, though; rather, it’s your body’s natural response to the stress and similar emotions.

We are going to explore some of the most common indicators of visual problems that appear during your anxiety attacks. That way you’ll learn to understand what is going on, and save yourself additional yet unnecessary panicking.

Light Sensitivity

Sensitivity to light is often caused by anxiety that is related to enlargement or dilation of the pupil. Pupils dilate when your body feels there is a reason for fear, as a part of its light or fight response. When dilated, pupils let more light in which improves vision and helps you catch little visual details which may turn out to be useful in dodging the trigger.

The way to prevent this (at least short term) is to use some specially designed eye drops that will decrease light sensitivity. You can also opt for sunglasses. Nevertheless, as this isn’t an illness that should be treated but just a mere body reaction, maybe you should wait for it to pass. Spending some time, preferably lying down in a dimly lit space can do wonders for your sight; it will help you relax and give your eyes ease.

Blurry Vision

Blurry vision isn’t just a side effect of chronicle fatigue but anxiety or high blood pressure as well. Suddenly, you may become unable to see faces or read signs with clarity. Dizziness and sometimes nausea are common factors too. Why does it happen? Your system is probably being flooded with more oxygen than it needs, so it’s trying to warn you of an imbalance happening. Another aspect of it may be pupil dilation (already mentioned in section above) which leads to your eyes’ inability to focus.

When experiencing this symptom avoid operating heavy machinery or driving. The symptom of blurry vision is similar to that of being drunk – it keeps you from getting proper visual information and staying safe.

Tunnel Vision

Tunnel vision means your peripheral sight is blurred or fading entirely and you can focus only on what’s directly ahead of you. This is yet another reaction of your body to potential danger, where eyes eliminate any stimulus around you that may be causing you panic or problem. This is actually protecting you from increased anxiety as your body ‘understands’ you are already dealing with something stressful so you don’t need to waste additional energy on random things.

To avoid tunnel vision, relax. Don’t panic, it’s just a temporary thing, accept it and it will fade away.

“Visual Snow” and seeing “Flashes” of Light is pretty common in the case of vision impairment caused by anxiety. The first one manifests with what appears as “snow,” or something resembling the look of television static. If this “snow” is something you are experiencing only during anxiety attacks, there is no reason to worry. Again, relax and it’ll pass. If this happens on random occasions, it is advisable you see a doctor. He may recommend treatment, laser surgery or some other cure.

As for “flashes” of light, it is a symptom of your eyes attempting to adapt when they feel they are being exposed to too much light. The flashes may also be the result of dehydration or increased heart rate. To deal with these flashes it’s best you lied down, closed your eyes and waited for the heart rate to return to normal.

Author bio:

Diana Smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls interested in topics related to health and alternative medicine. She had recently done some research about cervical and breast cancer as the most common women health problem. Useful information for this article has been kindly provided by personaleyes.com.au.