Vision Issues... Is it all anxiety

Hey!

Sorry to hear about all your eye problems. I can totally relate and experience very similar symptoms as well as dots of light or black specks in my vision that really freak me out. Going back to optometrist tomorrow for third time in last year. I think it is related to anxiety but I need more reasurance with the new symptoms. How are you doing? Are things getting any better? Meditation and Guided Imagery has been helping to decrease my anxiety a bit. YouTube has some great ones.

Your symptoms are exactly like mine.

I've seen an increase in eye floaters, dots when I look up at the sky. It was on my mind constantly. I'd find myself looking up at the sky where the floaters would be more prominent and the blue sky would be covered in coloured specs and dots.

I decided to book an eye test, at my appointment I told the optician of the problems I'd been experiencing and I was given a thorough eye test on various different machines. Thankfully all the test came back fine, apart from being told I had rugby ball shaped eyeballs rather than football shaped, which apparently is quite common.

The optician told me floaters & dots are common & normal, and can be more apparent when you're actively looking for them, which I was & by the sounds of if you are too. Anxiety & stress can also cause them I'm told.

So the good news is, although they aren't nice, the chances are the floaters are nothing serious. Do yourself a favour and book an eye test. You'll feel better afterwards even if you're nervous in the lead up to the appointment.

Stress & anxiety can wreak havoc on the human body

Hello, I am having almost all of the same issues. It started out as eye floaters when I had anxiety about a migrane I got once while I was on medication. I obsessed over the eye floaters and had so much anxiety about something being wrong with me that It only got worse. I now see after images and sometimes flashes. I am very sensitive to light and if I see a flash or reflection of a bright light I will continue to see it seconds after. It has almost taken over my life as I constantly stress about it. I went to an eye doctor that said everything was fine but now as months passed and more vision problems are occurring I made an appointment to see a neurologist next week. Doing this was hard for me but I think it will help relieve some of my stress to know what is going on and try to move past this. I have never been diagnosed with anxiety, but I am always stressed about my health and have had anxiety attacks in the past when concerned about health. I have done so much research into this and I am starting to realize the root of these problems could be from anxiety and just obsessing over the problems. I need to start focusing on the root of the problem which is anxiety and try to figure out a way to overcome.

Hi Naranja,

To start with, I would try to find comfort that since this has been going on for 7 months to a year, and nothing major happened, it probably will be fine. Get your nerve up to see an eye doc and maybe you will find out it is just dry eye and you may just need moisturizing drops.

it wouldn't surprise me if anxiety is making it worse. If i hear about things, i tend to experience them. the stupid commercial about "pounding on the back of your eye" got me and I started feeling that. so frustrating.

Keep us posted and try to relax.

Hey,

I know exactly what you are going through. Anxiety is a horrible thing and when it comes to vision issues it can be a double edged sword as anxiety can make you aware of these slight abnormalities in your vision but becoming aware of it makes you more anxious so it is a vicious cycle.

You need acceptance in your life. You need to stop sweating the small stuff. Don't fight it, feel it. However, this is a lot easier said than done because you will have cemented a pattern in your mind which automatically sets off a string of anxious thoughts when you notice these abnormalities in your vision. It will take a lot of dedication and patience but you need to just let things be. As a previous post said, don't be negative or resist your vision as it will only cement those patterns even more. You need to unwind those patterns with acceptance. I HIGHLY recommend downloading the app headspace and doing the acceptance course. You should also make meditation a daily practice.

Hope this helps.

Calum