Relax and see better – stress and our eyes

The eyes are the window to your soul, and when your soul is relaxed your eyes are too. Maintaining a healthy level of stress can be difficult during this day and age, with pressures of work and the constant presence of online and social media. These high stress levels may be taking a toll on your eyes, resulting in the following eye conditions:

Myokymia: Otherwise known as eye twitching. A condition that drives many of us nuts, comparable only to the hiccups or an itchy mosquito bite. Stress is a leading cause of involuntary eye twitches, often caused by lack of zzz’s or too much screen time. Twitching should disappear on its own, but only with a bit of repose.

Blurred Vision: When we’re in stress mode, our body may react as if we’re facing danger, causing our pupils to dilate. This dilation allows more light to enter the retina with the hopeful outcome that you’re able to better judge the situation. On the flip side, excess light may also cause blurry vision.

Dry Eyes: When experiencing high levels of stress, our body also goes into full protection mode. One of the results of this natural defense is the thickening of blood flow to shield us from potential injury. This makes our heart pump harder to get blood circulating to our extremities, thus lowering the amount being sent to our eyes. A decrease in blood flow to the eyes results in dry, irritated peepers.

Not only can stress have these effects on your eyes – they can also make you look physically unwell. Stress causes lack of sleep, which in essence causes fluid to pool below your lower eyelid area, resulting in the frustrating under eye bags that are difficult to hide. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep and reduce the amount of time spent on digital devices before bed, to reduce stress and to keep those eyes beaming.

For more information or to book an appointment, please visit us online at www.visionsourcenw.com or call us at 604.553.3900.

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