Stress is a struggle for most people in their everyday life, from daily responsibilities, pets, children, wider circumstances like the cost-of-living crisis and of course work. However, many don’t manage to take the time to address this and find ways to unwind, causing stress to build up and the body to react negatively. Some of the physical manifestations of stress can include hair loss, skin changes, headaches, issues with menstrual cycles and trouble with our eye health and vision.
Stress and the impact on vision
Although our bodies can deal with isolated periods of stress when faced with sudden changes or stressors such as unexpected life events, a death, break up, losing a job and so on; it’s the continuous high levels of stress, or chronic stress, which can cause disturbances in the autonomic nervous system. This can lead to health issues and visual problems.
Here you can find some of the most common eye disorders associated with stress and their symptoms:
Blepharitis: Blepharitis causes an inflammation of the eyelid margins which leads to itching and irritation of eyes. Stress can be a potential factor in blepharitis flaring up which, in extreme conditions, can affect the vision.
Eye twitching (myokymia): The most commonly affected muscle is the orbicularis oculi. Stress is a known factor for this involuntary muscle action.
Eye Strain: The most common symptoms are headaches, dryness, intermittent blurring and in extreme cases diplopia, otherwise known as double vision.
Amaurosis or vision loss: This condition is perhaps the most severe listed. High levels of stress can cause a transient loss of vision, most likely vascular in nature. Fortunately, the vision can be restored; however, it’s important that you seek immediate medical advice should you experience any such symptoms.
What can employers do to help prevent visual problems caused by stress?
Periods of stress are often unavoidable, but the problem can result in health issues when these periods are prolonged and accompanied by bad habits. As April is stress awareness month, Nimmi Mistry has put together some things employers can do to help protect their employees’ visual health from the impact of stress.
Encourage the 20-20-20 rule
Eye fatigue is another condition we can suffer due to high levels of stress, particularly if you are suffering from work-related stress and your job involves a lot of screen time.
Healthy and safety law states “employers must plan work so there are breaks or changes of activity for employees who are display screen equipment (DSE) users. There is no legal guidance about how long and how often breaks should be for DSE work.”
A general recommendation is that those who spend a lot of time on screens follow the 20-20-20 rule. This involves taking screen breaks every 20 minutes to look for 20 seconds at a fixed point 20 feet away. This exercise will relieve the stress on the eyes, and if not, there are other eye exercises you could introduce to your workforce which can be done at their desk.
– Blinking consciously: Spending long periods of time staring at a screen for work can mean we blink less. Blinking helps to rebuild the natural hydration of the eye, so make sure you don’t forget to blink!
– Palming: A relaxation technique often used in yoga. Place the palms of your hands slightly cupped over the eyes, without applying pressure. Let your fingertips overlap, resting on the forehead, and try to not let any light through and breathe deeply for a minute.
– Eye rolling: …And I don’t mean to show that you’re irritated! This technique is known to ease the tension of the eye muscles. Sit up, with your back straight and, without moving your head, look to the right. From there, move your gaze slowly toward the ceiling, then left and down. Repeat 10 sets of these clockwise and counter-clockwise.
Offer healthy snacks and drinks
A balanced diet and incorporating nutrient-rich foods can help give eyes added resilience in the face of stress peaks. Certain supplements enhance the uptake of nutrients to the eye which reduces discomfort caused by dry eyes and helps in disease management. The most effective vitamins for the eyes include lutein and zeaxanthin, and foods that contain these carotenoids include raspberries (240g of which will give 283 micrograms of these beneficial vitamins), strawberries, and peaches too. Lutein and zeaxanthin can also be found in orange juice as well.
Research also suggests vitamin A, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids aid in lubricating the eye and reducing dry eye symptoms. Some foods which contain omega-3 fatty acids include Chia seeds (5,050 mg per serving) and Walnuts (2,570 mg per serving).
By offering some of these as healthy snacks in the office, as opposed to cakes and biscuits, you can provide employees with a source of these beneficial vitamins.
Make sure you inform employees of their eye care entitlement
If employers are considered DSE workers, then by law, employers must provide certain benefits related to eye care. An employer must provide an eyesight test for a DSE user if they request one. The employer must also pay for the test, this should be a full eye and eyesight test by an optometrist or doctor, including a vision test and an eye examination. However, it is up to the employer how they provide the test. For example, they could let users arrange the tests and reimburse them for the cost later, or they could send all their DSE users to one optician.
If the test shows that an employee needs special glasses prescribed for the distance the screen is viewed at the employer will need to pay for the glasses too.
Address causes of stress
The best thing for employers to do though is to get to the root of the problem. Of course, some level of stress is to be expected at work, however, if there are other factors contributing to the level of stress then these should be addressed. Send an anonymous survey or feedback form to get an idea of where the pain points are. Once you know these you can put plans in place to help.
