Can Stress Cause Eye Floaters?
Everyone gets stressed out once in a while. As we know, stress often has a negative impact on a person’s physical well-being and can even be hard on the eyes. If you frequently experience stress you might wonder, can stress cause eye floaters?
The simple answer is, stress alone is not responsible for eye floaters appearing. Eye floaters are caused by deterioration of the vitreous humor which often happens as people age.
In a stressful situation the human body produces a hormone known as epinephrine. Epinephrine, otherwise known as adrenaline, causes your pupils to dilate so that the world around you is seen more clearly. Being stressed out all the time will result in constant dilation of the pupils, and ultimately eye strain. Stress induced eye strain is often accompanied by symptoms such as:
- Sensitivity to light
- Reduction of peripheral vision
- Blurred vision
- Dry eyes
- Twitching in the eyes
Despite the fact that stress itself cannot cause eye floaters it can certainly make a pre-existing condition worse. Experiencing the above symptoms in conjunction to eye floaters you already see will make it seem like your eye floaters have increased. In reality, the above symptoms are just contributing to the root problem, therefore making your eye floaters more noticeable.
Ways to Reduce Stress
Taking some time to unwind is vitally important if you’re feeling stressed out. Consider deep breathing routines, exercise, yoga or meditation as ways to relieve stress in your life. Moreover, you can try and isolate the problem that is causing you stress and if possible, try to resolve that problem. Other ways to destress include:
- Taking a warm bath, preferably with Epsom salts
- Going for a walk
- Listening to calming music or white noise
- Talking to a friend or family member
If you notice a sudden increase in eye floaters, contact Associated Retina Consultants at 602-242-4928 or associatedretinaconsultants.com to schedule an exam with one of our doctors. A sudden increase, especially if this is accompanied by an abrupt loss of vision, flashes of light, shadows or a gray curtain moving across your field of vision, could be a potentially dangerous condition that requires prompt treatment.