Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holidays, when many of us spend quality time with our loved ones and pause to appreciate the things in life that give us joy. However wonderful the season is, it can also be a time of stress.
Finding ways to minimize stress can help your overall health – including your eye health. Here are some potential eye-related benefits to reducing holiday stress.
Reduced Eye Strain
When someone is under heavy stress, the body can trigger a fight-or-flight response – an ancient survival mechanism that helped our ancestors protect themselves from a perceived threat. While this response may be helpful in certain circumstances, it can also result in causing muscles to tense up and your pupils to dilate.
This combination can lead to increased eye strain, both from your dilated eyes being more sensitive to light and the muscles around your eyes being tightened, creating possible muscle soreness and/or eye twitching. Some people may even experience stress-related headaches or migraines that impact vision, such as ocular migraines or migraines with aura.
Lower Blood Pressure
Chronic stress can be a risk factor for high blood pressure, which in turn may reduce blood flow to your eyes.
High blood pressure may increase the risk for hypertensive retinopathy, a condition where blood vessels in the retina are damaged. Additionally, diabetes-related eye issues – such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and glaucoma – may worsen with sustained, elevated blood pressure levels.
Decreased Inflammation
Our bodies naturally produce cortisol, a steroid hormone made by the adrenal gland, to help regulate our response to stress. In small quantities, cortisol can help reduce inflammation. However, if cortisol levels are consistently elevated due to chronic stress, the body can adapt, which limits its ability to fight inflammation.
Eye tissues are delicate, and systemic inflammation can worsen eye conditions. Dry eye symptoms, for instance, can become more severe as inflammation may disrupt the part of your eye that produces tears. Inflammation in the middle layer of the eye (uvea) may contribute to uveitic glaucoma.
Seeing the Bright Side
As the holiday season approaches, be sure to make time to relax, rejuvenate, and plan to minimize seasonal stress.
The doctors at Bauer & Clausen Optometry wish you an enjoyable, safe holiday season. We are always happy to answer any questions about your eyes and are committed to making your experience at our clinic stress-free.
Schedule an exam with our friendly providers by calling (406) 656-8886. We look forward to seeing you soon.
