Can anxiety affect vision?
Anxiety and poor vision are interrelated conditions that affect each other. For example, anxiety can trigger high adrenaline levels impacting your ability to see. However, if anxiety treatment doesn’t resolve vision issues, you may have Binocular Vision Dysfunction. BVD is caused by slight eye misalignment, which impacts vision, potentially causing high anxiety levels.
Can anxiety cause blurred vision?
Yes, anxiety can cause blurred vision and other physical reactions. When a person experiences anxiety, their body enters a state of heightened alertness, often referred to as the “fight or flight” acute stress response. During this stress response, the body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones can affect various bodily functions, including vision.
Here are a few ways anxiety can lead to visual symptoms:
- Pupil Dilation: Adrenaline causes the pupils to dilate, allowing more light to enter the eyes. This can lead to temporary blurred vision as the eyes struggle to adjust to the increased light.
- Eye Strain: Anxiety often leads to increased muscle tension, including in the muscles around the eyes. This tension can cause eye strain and, consequently, blurred vision.
- Hyperventilation: Mental stress can lead to rapid and shallow breathing, or hyperventilation. This can decrease carbon dioxide levels in the blood, affecting the oxygenation of the brain and eyes, and resulting in blurred vision.
- Dry Eyes: Anxiety can reduce the production of tears, leading to dry eyes, which can cause blurred vision and discomfort.
It’s important to note that while chronic stress can cause blurred vision, persistent vision issues should be evaluated by a healthcare professional to rule out other underlying conditions, such as Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD), which is characterized by slight misalignment of the eyes and can exacerbate anxiety symptoms.
Binocular Vision Dysfunction & Anxiety
For your vision to be effective your eyes must work in coordination with each other. In order to do this they need to be perfectly aligned. Binocular Vision Dysfunction occurs when there is a subtle misalignment of your eyes. This misalignment forces your eye muscles to overexert themselves to realign the eyes and prevent double vision. However, the misalignment rapidly returns, which is again addressed by realignment. These misalignment/realignment cycles may lead you to have trouble navigating due to eye strain, blurry vision, light sensitivity, dizziness, and balance issues, causing you to feel anxious and overwhelmed. Many of our patients with these symptoms have previously been diagnosed with the following anxiety disorders:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Patients diagnosed with chronic anxiety feel anxious without an obvious cause. This mental health disorder is believed to be associated with a chemical imbalance in the brain. When you are unable to find anxiety relief from traditional treatments the issue may actually be Binocular Vision Dysfunction. By treating your vision misalignment, you will have stable balance and be able to finally see your environment clearly, resulting in significant anxiety relief.
Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are a severe form of anxiety where the sufferer has an unexpected episode of intense fear. This results in feeling an accelerated heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, loss of control, or a sudden sense of immense dread. If the vision misalignment goes untreated, dizziness, unsteadiness, and blurred vision or possibly double vision can be experienced, causing patients with Binocular Vision Dysfunction to feel overwhelmed and panicked.
One of the most common causes of anxiety attacks in our patients is driving on the freeway. Aligning lenses break the misalignment/realignment cycle and, by treating the vision impairment, can reduce or eliminate the panic attack symptoms.
It Might Be Your Eyes
Agoraphobia
Fear, anxiety, and panic caused by being in places or situations that make you feel trapped (like crowded places, public transportation, shopping malls, or places of worship), or places from which escape is difficult is considered to be agoraphobia. When the world around you is hard to navigate due to your vision misalignment, being in places that you are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with may cause intense fear and anxiety or emotional distress. By correcting the vision impairment with our specialized aligning lenses we can eliminate or reduce agoraphobia symptoms and provide you with anxiety relief.
Suicidal Thoughts
Suicidal thoughts occur when the anxiety and panic are so severe that a person feels like they just can’t live like this anymore. People with Binocular Vision Dysfunction may not be aware that their anxiety symptoms are resulting from a vision misalignment. By breaking the misalignment/realignment cycle with our aligning lenses, we can treat the vision impairment, giving our patients substantial anxiety relief and reducing or eliminating their suicidal thoughts without anti-anxiety medications.
Our compassionate doctors at Vision Specialists of Michigan are dedicated to making our treatments easy for our patients. The extent of your vision misalignment is determined with a thorough and comprehensive NeuroVisual Examination. Once completed, the results of your exam will determine the prescription of your specialized aligning lenses.
As opposed to your standard eyeglass prescription, our lenses treat your Binocular Vision Dysfunction as well as any additional vision impairments. When your eyes are aligned they are able to work together to see clearly, allowing you to effectively navigate through your environment and reducing or eliminating your anxiety symptoms.
How to Stop Blurred Vision from Anxiety
Stopping blurred vision caused by anxiety involves managing both the anxiety itself and the specific symptoms affecting your eyes. Here are several strategies that can help:
1. Relaxation Techniques
- Deep Breathing Exercises: Practice deep, slow breathing to help reduce stress and hyperventilation.
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Systematically tense and then relax different muscle groups to reduce overall muscle tension.
- Meditation and Mindfulness: Engage in regular mindfulness meditation to calm the mind and reduce anxiety.
2. Eye Care
- Blinking: Remind yourself to blink regularly, especially when using screens, to prevent dry eyes.
- Warm Compress: Apply a warm compress to your eyes to soothe eye strain and improve tear production.
- Hydration: Ensure you are well-hydrated to help maintain healthy tear production.
3. Lifestyle Changes
- Regular Exercise: Engage in regular physical activity to reduce overall anxiety levels and improve blood flow to the eyes.
- Healthy Diet: Consume a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals that support eye health, such as Vitamin A, C, and E.
- Adequate Sleep: Ensure you get enough restful sleep to help your body recover and reduce stress.
4. Avoid Stimulants
- Limit Caffeine and Sugar: Reduce intake of caffeine and sugar, which can exacerbate anxiety and eye strain.
- Reduce Screen Time: Take regular breaks from screens to reduce eye strain and prevent digital eye strain (also known as computer vision syndrome).
5. Therapeutic Interventions
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Engage in CBT to address and manage anxiety symptoms effectively.
- Counseling: Speak with a therapist or counselor to develop coping strategies for anxiety.
6. Medical Interventions
- Medication: In some cases, medication prescribed by a healthcare provider may be necessary to manage anxiety.
- Eye Drops: Use lubricating eye drops to relieve dryness and discomfort if recommended by a healthcare professional.
7. Regular Eye Exams
- Check-ups: Regularly visit an eye care professional to ensure there are no underlying eye conditions contributing to blurred vision.
- Corrective Lenses: If you require glasses or contact lenses, ensure your prescription is up to date to avoid additional eye strain.
Implementing these strategies can help alleviate blurred vision caused by anxiety. However, it’s important to consult with healthcare professionals for personalized advice and treatment plans.
Suffering from severe anxiety can be crippling and can prevent you from doing what you love. Being anxious and not being able to see clearly can create fear, anxiety, and panic. Let an eye doctor at Vision Specialists of Michigan help you with your Binocular Vision Dysfunction. Complete the screening questionnaire or contact us today to determine if we can help you experience relief from your physical symptoms of anxiety.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I tell if my blurred vision is caused by anxiety or another condition?
Blurred vision caused by anxiety is often temporary and may accompany other anxiety symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, and trembling. If your blurred vision persists, occurs suddenly, or is accompanied by other symptoms like eye pain or headache, it’s important to see a healthcare professional to rule out other conditions such as BVD.
2. Will my vision return to normal once my anxiety is under control?
In most cases, yes. When anxiety levels decrease and the body returns to a state of relaxation, vision typically returns to normal. Implementing stress-reducing techniques and seeking appropriate treatment for anxiety can help restore normal vision. However, if you have BVD, your symptoms will need to be treated with corrective prism lenses.
3. Can anxiety medication help improve my vision?
Anxiety medication such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can help manage overall anxiety levels and prevent anxiety attacks, which may indirectly improve symptoms like blurred vision. However, if blurred vision persists, it’s essential to consult with an eye care professional to ensure there are no other underlying issues.
4. Can dehydration caused by anxiety affect my vision?
Yes, dehydration can contribute to dry eyes, which can cause blurred vision. Anxiety can sometimes lead to behaviors like reduced water intake or excessive caffeine consumption, which can dehydrate the body. Staying hydrated is important for overall eye health.
5. Is blurred vision a common symptom of anxiety during a panic attack?
Yes, blurred vision is a common symptom during a panic attack. The body’s “fight or flight” stress responses can lead to changes in vision, including blurriness, due to pupil dilation and changes in blood flow to the eyes.
If you are having vision problems that accompany high stress levels, contact Vision Specialists of Michigan to see if you may have BVD.
