Keep calm and blink on: How stress can affect our eyes this National Stress Awareness Week

placeholder image — Stress can affect our vision

Modern life can feel like a juggling act - between deadlines, phone notifications and to-do lists it’s no surprise that many of us feel stressed. And whilst we often notice how stress affects our mood or energy levels, it can quietly take its toll on other parts of the body too including eyes.

To mark National Stress Awareness Week starting today, leading eye health group Optegra Eye Health Care is highlighting that not only can stress directly lead to a number of eye symptoms but that poor vision in itself can be a cause of anxiety and low mood.

Symptoms such as blurry vision, sensitivity to light and very dry or wet eyes can be the result of ongoing strain that many people feel in daily life. Other eye conditions such as floaters, dry eye, eye strain and potentially even vision loss can also be caused by stress.

THE SCIENCE BIT

Research shows that prolonged stress can affect blood flow and oxygen delivery throughout the body, including the eyes.This triggers a cascade of biochemical, physiological and psychological effects. Over time, elevated stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin may disrupt the balance of nervous system and reduce circulation to the optic nerve and retina, potentially contributing to vision changes or worsening existing eye conditions.

Stress can also affect the surface of the eye. Studies suggest that anxiety and depression may contribute to altered tear production and the quality of the tear film. Elevated cortisol levels in tears have been found in individuals with higher anxiety, potentially contributing to inflammation and discomfort.

This can create a vicious cycle: while stress is often seen as a consequence of vision loss and reduced quality of life, chronic anxiety and fear may also accelerate vision problems. The good news is that regular eye care and stress management can help break this cycle.

STRESS TAKING ITS TOLL

Research [1] from Optegra also reveals the mental toll of poor eyesight, as over half of British adults (54 per cent) state that having poor vision can cause anxiety and 55 per cent can feel in a low mood if they cannot see clearly.

On a practical level, poor vision is also having an impact on daily life as it restricts activities which can boost wellbeing:

One in five (20 per cent) adults say they cannot drive due to vision which makes them feel less independent
Almost a quarter (23 per cent) say they have had to stop a favourite activity or hobby
23 per cent find everyday tasks like cooking and shopping difficult due to poor sight.

Optegra consultant ophthalmic surgeon Mr Amir Hamid says: “We often think of the practical implications or poor vision such as how it affects reading, watching television, driving, cooking and so on, but it is also interesting to see how it impacts mental wellbeing.

“This could be due to factors such as eyesight problems limiting the ability to live a full social life, holding people back in their careers and preventing them from enjoying quality of life such as being able to go swimming on holiday or play sports. Life is so busy and pressurised nowadays that the burden of poor vision on top of the day-to-day pressures is a real issue.

Optegra offers these three top tips to reduce the impact of stress on our eyes:

To reduce eye strain the 20-20-20- rule is very effective. This means looking 20 metres away from your screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds. This allows eyes to re-focus and rest - they can become strained from too much screen time as we often forget to blink.
Fresh air and daylight are important – being outside is a great boost to your wellbeing and can help avoid becoming short-sighted as well.
It is vital to attend your bi-annual eye health check with your local optician. This means the health of your eyes is checked regularly to help detect any sight-threatening conditions as early as possible.

Optegra Eye Health Care is a specialist provider of ophthalmic services. Established in 2007, it has completed over one million eye procedures from its 78 eye hospitals and clinics across the UK, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Holland.

As well as providing private vision correction treatments – from lens replacement and laser eye surgery to implantable contact lenses – Optegra treats cataract surgery both privately and through its partnership with the NHS. Optegra also treats medical conditions AMD and glaucoma; and has launched the first ever treatment for people with the Dry form of AMD.

Optegra brings together leading-edge research, medical expertise and state-of-the-art surgical equipment. It performs more than 170,000 treatments annually, both private and publicly funded. Its top ophthalmic surgeons are renowned for their areas of expertise, offering excellent clinical outcomes and great patient service.

1 Research commissioned by Optegra Eye Health Care was conducted with 2,006 UK consumers aged 16 + by Censuswide, between 18.05.23 and 22.05.23. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.