How Anxiety Creates Double Vision

Anxiety causes a lot of different symptoms that are unusual that may seem unrelated to anxiety. Some of those symptoms affect the eyes, and when they do they can make life a lot more distressing.

Double vision is one such vision problem, and it's somewhat of a complicated one. Not everyone sees double vision with anxiety, but many people do experience some types of vision problems, and unfortunately as long as you have anxiety these problems are bound to keep occurring.

Causes of Anxiety Double Vision

Most vision problems are the result of activation of the fight or flight system from anxiety, which is present with all types of anxiety disorders and all intensities of anxiety.

When you have anxiety, your body floods with adrenaline, which prepares your body the same way it would prepare you if you were about to face danger. One such way is by dilating your pupils so that you can take in more light and make faster movements. This doesn't necessarily cause double vision, but it can cause vision issues that some attribute to double vision.

However, this is not the only cause of double vision from anxiety. Other causes include:

• Triggered Migraine Perhaps the most common is a migraine. Migraines are not generally caused by anxiety, but they can be triggered by anxiety. Those with stress tend to have more migraines than those without stress, and so you may be experiencing regular double vision as a result of this stress. Not all migraines have headaches either, so double vision may be one of the primary symptoms.
• Hyperventilation Another symptom of anxiety that may cause double vision is hyperventilation. Hyperventilation is when you breathe too fast, and it can cause blood to stop flowing in your brain as efficiently. That constricts the blood vessels and can lead to vision problems, including double vision.

The Anxiety of Double Vision

It should be noted that double vision is associated with many different neurological diseases, which is why even though anxiety is a common cause, you should still see a doctor - especially if the double vision is chronic. Unfortunately, double vision is one of the main reasons that people fear for their brain health, believing they may have:

• Brain Tumors
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Lyme Disease

These fears and similar symptoms (all caused by anxiety) are sadly all too common. Unfortunately, since the symptoms are so similar the only way to know for sure how healthy you are is to see your doctor.

But know that your anxiety is also going to cause you to worry a great deal about your health, so don't be surprised if your doctor tells you you're fine. Similarly, while seeing a doctor may be valuable, it's often not enough to control the fear that something is seriously wrong. Health anxiety is extremely common in those living with anxiety disorders.