vision issues

[somethingsomething]

hello,

my anxiety seems to focus mainly on my vision and it is horrible... i have so many problems that i just don't know how to deal with it and i need help.

recently i started to feel everything is a lot brighter than it used to be, particularly certain headlights and lights in stores although i don't need to squint. for this reason lights are the first thing i seem to focus on and i can't get it out of my field of vision because i still notice it on the side and it drives me crazy because i think they are really bright.
it's worse if i go into a public place. for example i was taking a train a while back and i felt that the headlights were so bright although i didn't need to squint. it just made me panic and i just hate going into public, especially at night if i have to deal with light sources.

is this caused by anxiety or do i have a serious problem? how can i not think about this? it is all i think about when i leave the house and it is worrying me. :weep:

[Timb2]

Yes. Light sensitivity, eye muscle pain, flashes of light, floaters. You name it. I've had it.

Try to schedule an eye exam just for peace of mind.

[Gary A]

Anxiety puts your nervous system on red alert, this causes a whole host of issues as your body is constantly primed for danger. One of the most common issues with anxiety is vision problems.

It's mostly caused by a natural bodily reaction to stress. Your pupils dilate more in times of high stress as your brain thinks you're in danger, so it instructs the pupils to dilate in order to have a larger and brighter visual field in which to spot signs of danger.

It's all part of the so called fight or flight response. Floaters become more noticeable, lights become brighter and your peripheral visual fields are far wider than usual. As distressing and unusual as it can be, it's actually just your body working as it should. Don't worry about it.