Effects of Stress on Your Eyes

No matter how often you are experiencing stress or how severe it is, it will affect your eyes. It is important to know when this warrants a visit to your eye doctor. For patients throughout Indianapolis IN, Eyes for Wellness is their go-to center for optometry services. We want you to understand how stress can affect your eyes and what to do about it if it does.

Effects of Stress on Your Eyes and Their Causes

Stress activates the body’s natural fight or flight response. Adrenaline is created as a result, which leads to a decrease in the amount of blood flowing to your head. This interrupts the way your brain operates and dilates your pupils. When this happens, it can be difficult to see. The dilation of your pupils may let so much light in that you begin to experience pain or general discomfort. Tension also causes your eye muscles to tighten up, which may just make your eyes sore but may also make one or the other of them twitch. This can also be caused by looking at a computer monitor all day long, as it has the same effect on your eyes that tension does.

When you experience psychological stress, your body may create more cortisol. If it goes untreated, this can cause your vision to deteriorate over time. The longer you experience the stress, the more damage that may be done to your vision. This can eventually lead to developing eye conditions like optic neuropathy, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.

Eye Doctor in Indianapolis, IN

You may find that engaging in healthy ways to relieve stress is enough to clear up your eye problems. Otherwise, we urge you to make an appointment with Eyes for Wellness. We treat patients all over Indianapolis, IN, and will help you maintain healthy vision despite suffering from the negative effects of stress. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at (317) 818-0541.