Stress and our eyes

The current COVID-19 virus pandemic is a stressful time for us all in one way or another.  The impact of stress can be affect us mentally and physically.  The physical effects of stress on the body affect all parts including the eyes and vision. 

What stress does to our eyes and vision

• Eye lid twitching is a common result of stress that many experience.  It can feel like the whole eye is twitching but in fact it is just the eyelid that is affected.  It is a completely benign condition - generally not an indication that you need glasses even. In addition to stress, lack of sleep along with excessive stimulants like caffeine or nicotine can make the eye lid twitching worse. 
• Physiological stress has been associated with elevated levels of a hormone called cortisol. Increased cortisol levels negatively impact the eye and brain.  Many serious vision diseases like glaucoma, optic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration has been linked to increased cortisol.
• Hysterical blindness can result from the body not coping with stress levels.  Some children and adults undergoing stressful situations have been known to suffer severe vision loss even though everything is healthy with the eyes.

What to do
Some easy ways to manage stress is to get adequate sleep and exercise.  Even moderate exercise just as a walk is good to manage stress. Think about watching how much caffeine you drink and consider stopping smoking. For some people, further treatment is needed such as talk therapy, meditation, breathing exercises and medications.  Don’t forget to reach out – talk to family, talk to a friend or talk to your optometrist.