Stress and dry eye pain

[Trac]

Is it my imagination, or does stress seem to make other peoples dry eyes worse? When I get upset about something, emotional stress, my eyes bother me much more than they did just moments before.

[Hopeful2]

Trac,
That's a very good question. I have been feeling stress pretty well the whole time since my surgery, so I wouldn't know if I was stress free if my dry eye pain would be reduced or less noticeable. A number of people on the forum have commented in the past that lack of sleep and anxiety my contribute to dry eye symptoms.

Would be good to see other posts . . .

[bunnyrabbit123]

Thank you so much for saying this. I have exactly the same experience. I don't understand why this is happening.

[Trac]

I think our hormones have a tremendous affect on our bodies and we have very little control over it. Likewise, I think our DNA/genetics pretty much sets us up for life, but I don't seem to have any family history of dry eyes or autoimmune disease. If my husband and I argue my eyes feel worse.

[Trac]

Bunny rabbit, What kind of surgery did you have?

[Mawsky]

I'm glad you are bringing this up, I've been wondering this myself, I havent really had this problem long enough to say with any conviction that stress caused the problem with my eyes to worsen, or not, I'm thinking of keeping a diary for my eyes, I just went through a great period, my eyes were not completely healed, but were doing really great, now for last few days my eyes have been really bad, husband and I got a bit stressed out with each other over travel plans, and now am I paying the price??? This is something I've definately noticed too, If I get emotional and cry, doesn't seem to matter whether I'm sad, or happy, or just touched by something I've seen or heard, I don't actually shed a tear, but my eyes try, I will get really swollen, and red, and I seem to have a bad spell just after, has this happened to anyone else?? I think stress is bad for us in all ways, it would make sense that it could exacerbate the dry eyes.

[Trac]

Also I noticed "eye stress" seems to bother my eyes a lot. Things like reading, watching a movie, being on the computer is the worse thing, even driving bothers my eyes if I have to read the street or freeway signs. My eyes seem worse at night than earlier in the day. And odors can be very painful, perfume can really burn my eyes.