The past months have wreaked havoc with most people’s lives, no matter what you do or where you live. It’s become the norm to feel overwhelmed by anxiety, stress, and fear. What you may not realize is the impact this kind of stress can have on your eyes. The benefits of managing stress are therefore far-reaching, helping to preserve not only your body health – but eye health, too. Read some helpful tips from our eye doctor near you on how to prevent vision complications as a result of pandemic stress.

Fight or Flight

You’ve probably experienced the “fight or flight” response at some point. It’s when you hear bad news or confront a powerful negative, and your body goes into protection mode. Adrenaline courses through your veins. In response, your heart may pump faster, your breathing becomes more shallow, and the pupils of your eyes dilate to improve your ability to see danger.

These automatic responses are your body’s way of preparing for a physical threat, even if the stress is coming from a nonphysical source, such as a challenging project at work or a fight with your spouse. These effects can stress the eyes either mildly or seriously, depending on your individual health condition.

Impact of Stress on Eye Health

When your eyes suffer undue stress, a range of symptoms can occur – some of which will resolve on their own, and others of which require eye care near you. Common symptoms include:

• • Light sensitivity it can feel like you need to shut your eyes when exposed to light.
  • Tunnel vision your peripheral vision becomes blurred, leaving only your central vision clear.
  • Dry eyes your eyes will feel dry and irritated
  • Eye twitching random spasms occur in one or two eyelids.
  • Eye strain visual fatigue can be experienced (this may also be the result of too much screen time, an unfortunate outcome of the pandemic too).
  • Blurred vision generally, only a mild symptom when caused by stress.
  • Loss of vision cortisol, the “stress hormone,” can damage the eyes and the brain. Extreme stress is also linked with diseases such as glaucoma, which can lead to vision loss.

Most people only experience mild effects of stress on their eyes, but if any of these symptoms persist or detract from your quality of life, contact our eye doctor near you for treatment.

Tips to Help Relax Your Eyes

• • • Don’t overdo screen time, give your eye muscles a break by following the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look into the distance 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
    • Exercise regularly
    • Practice meditation
    • Take outdoor walks
    • Eat healthy foods
    • Get enough sleep

The benefits of daily stress management will help keep your body and eyes in top shape, functioning at their best!

Many eye diseases can be quickly and easily diagnosed during a Comprehensive eye exam, Pediatric eye exam and Contact lens eye exam. If you were diagnosed with an eye disease, such as Cataracts, Astigmatism, Pink Eye or conjunctivitis Myopia or Nearsightedness , Glaucoma, Macular degeneration, Diabetic retinopathy, or Dry eye, you may be overwhelmed by the diagnosis and confused about what happens next. Will you need medications or surgery – now or in the future? Is LASIK eye and vision surgery an option for you ? Our West Roxbury eye doctor is always ready to answer your questions about eye disease and Contact lenses.

Book an eye exam at Michael L. Smookler, O.D. eye clinic near you in West Roxbury, Massachusetts to learn more about your candidacy for contact lenses and which type is right for you. Call 844-945-2020

Michael L. Smookler, O.D., your West Roxbury eye doctor for eye exams and eye care

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• • • How do I tell that I am developing glaucoma?

      The real tragedy behind vision-stealing glaucoma is that most people afflicted with this eye disease do not even realize they have it. As a result, the condition goes undiagnosed and untreated, which too often leads to unnecessary blindness. Of the 2.7 million people in the United States with glaucoma, half are undiagnosed. Most are lulled into a false sense of confidence because glaucoma often displays no symptoms in its early stages. By the time it begins to affect vision, any lost sight is impossible to regain. The risk of developing glaucoma begins to increase dramatically at midlife, which is why everyone should have a baseline exam by age 40. The most important concern is protecting your sight. Doctors look at many factors before making decisions about your treatment. If your condition is particularly difficult to diagnose or treat, you may be referred to a glaucoma specialist. While glaucoma is most common in middle-aged individuals, the disease can strike at any age, with those having a family history of the disease being especially vulnerable.

    • What exactly is pink eye?

      Pink eye is really anything that makes the eye pink. The official term is conjunctivitis, meaning an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the mostly transparent, skinnish like covering over the white of the eye. When the eye is irritated, the conjunctiva swells and blood vessels in it dilate, giving the eye a pink or reddish appearance. Many different agents can lead to this, including bacteria, viruses, allergens, and toxic or mechanical irritants. Treatment and contagion protection depend on the specific cause. Often the cause can be determined based on history, eye appearance with specialized instruments, and symptoms. Viral pinkeye, for example, is typically associated with increased light sensitivity, whereas itching is a key sign in allergic pink eye. There is a good deal of overlap with all kinds, however. Bacterial and viral pinkeye are both contagious, and fairly common. With any pink eye, particularly if it is getting worse, or not getting any better within a day, it’s best to be seen by an eye care practitioner. She or he will have the experience, knowledge and instrumentation to provide the most efficient treatment and recommendations.

    • Are some people more prone to having Dry Eyes than others?

      Yes. Generally those that suffer with allergies, or have systemic inflammatory diseases like arthritis and sjogrens’, or those who use the computer or digital devices often and even contact lens wearers tend to be more susceptible to dry eye symptoms.

    • Are electronic devices really unhealthy for my eyes or is it all hype?

      Our heavy use of electronic devices is causing Digital Eye Strain for people of all ages. Hoya research shows that 61% of adults experience eye strain due to prolonged use of electronic devices. Nearly 25% of children are on digital devices 3 or more hours per day and 40% of Millennials spend 9 or more hours per day on digital devices. The benefits of technology have a downside, especially fatigue brought on by stress to the accommodative (focusing) system. This stress can lead to headaches, dry eyes, blurred vision and difficulty when focusing from distance to near.