Beirut, 2017 – A surgeon is experiencing blurry vision in one eye after having a very stressful day in the operating room. This happened four times in the past. All of which occurred after a severe bout of stress. Two colleagues happened to be eye surgeons and addressed the man’s issue.
Stress and your vision
They realized that the stressed colleague was suffering from something called central serous chorioretinopathy or CSCR. Trace amounts of fluid gathering cause this condition under a minuscule part of the retina.
The fluid build-up caused the retina to detach, temporarily. A few weeks of treatment solved the condition, but stress had to be managed to avoid another flare-up.
CSCR and stress
The condition was first documented around the middle of the 19th century, with ample cases recorded in WW2. Soldiers reported signs of the conditions due to the grand stress they suffered during the war and after it.
With the lack of stress and the condition still being present in some cases, its causes have been labeled as idiopathic, which means that no clear reasons have been determined for developing the disease. The surgeons called it Operating Room CSCR.
Due to the unique conditions that surgeons are exposed to, it is easy to develop the condition. New advancements in technology should be implemented in operating rooms to reduce the strain on the doctors.
Stress levels and health
Most humans do not respond well to stress. If you or someone you know is struggling with stress, anxiety, or other mental health issues, BetterHelp is a great option. Their therapists are custom-matched to you, in order to help you get the most out of each session.
But in an experiment, it has been theorized that the temporary stress that lasts a few hours could lead to new cells being created in the brain. These newly built cells have been linked to better mental performance in some instances. But keep in mind that the stress test has been conducted on rats. Most humans do not respond well to stress.
