VIEWS FOR 20/20 by Dr. Mark Skowron and Dr. Michelle Skowron STRESS, ANXIETY, AND VISION CHANGES Eyesight naturally declines over time, but blurry vision and lack of focus can happen for reasons unrelated to poor eyesight. Stress and anxiety cause your body to release adrenaline and cortisol. These stress hormones increase blood pressure, heart rate, and blood flow to the eyes, raising interocular pressure. The extra pressure on the optic nerve can temporarily cause blurry vision. Extreme anxiety, like a panic attack, forces shallow breathing to allow more oxygen into the body. This creates a sudden imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide that also causes blurry vision. Chronic stress and anxiety increase interocular pressure as well, leading to vision disorders like glaucoma. Intense anxiety sometimes causes dizziness and vertigo, which in turn causes problems with visual focus. Visual symptoms of stress should disappear once your stress or anxiety calms. However, seek your doctor's advice if you notice persistent changes to your vision. This will help them rule out or treat any underlying conditions. When you need to schedule an eye exam, please call SKOWRON EYE CARE. Our showroom is stocked with the latest and greatest trends in budget and designer eyewear. At Skowron Eye Care, our mission is your vision. P.S. During a fight or flight response, increased adrenaline makes our vision sharper so we can see better to identify threats. SKOWRON EYE CARE 370 N. York, Elmhurst, IL 60126 630-834-6244 www.skowroneyecare.com VIEWS FOR 20/20 by Dr. Mark Skowron and Dr. Michelle Skowron STRESS , ANXIETY , AND VISION CHANGES Eyesight naturally declines over time , but blurry vision and lack of focus can happen for reasons unrelated to poor eyesight . Stress and anxiety cause your body to release adrenaline and cortisol . These stress hormones increase blood pressure , heart rate , and blood flow to the eyes , raising interocular pressure . The extra pressure on the optic nerve can temporarily cause blurry vision . Extreme anxiety , like a panic attack , forces shallow breathing to allow more oxygen into the body . This creates a sudden imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide that also causes blurry vision . Chronic stress and anxiety increase interocular pressure as well , leading to vision disorders like glaucoma . Intense anxiety sometimes causes dizziness and vertigo , which in turn causes problems with visual focus . Visual symptoms of stress should disappear once your stress or anxiety calms . However , seek your doctor's advice if you notice persistent changes to your vision . This will help them rule out or treat any underlying conditions . When you need to schedule an eye exam , please call SKOWRON EYE CARE . Our showroom is stocked with the latest and greatest trends in budget and designer eyewear . At Skowron Eye Care , our mission is your vision . P.S. During a fight or flight response , increased adrenaline makes our vision sharper so we can see better to identify threats . SKOWRON EYE CARE 370 N. York , Elmhurst , IL 60126 630-834-6244 www.skowroneyecare.com