Can Eye Floaters Be Caused by Stress?
Have you ever been sitting at your desk or lying in bed and noticed tiny squiggles, dots, or shapes drifting across your vision? You blink, try to rub your eyes, or wave your hand in front of your face, but they don’t go away. These are what we call eye floaters. They can be unsettling, especially when they come out of nowhere.
If you're an anxious person (and especially if you’ve gone down the Google rabbit hole), you might be wondering: Can eye floaters be caused by stress? Let’s break this down together.
First, What Are Eye Floaters?
Eye floaters are little specks, threads, or cobweb-like shadows that appear in your field of vision. They’re actually tiny clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous (the clear, jelly-like fluid that fills the inside of your eye - fun, right?). As we age, the vitreous starts to shrink, and floaters become more common.
Floaters are usually harmless, but that doesn’t mean they’re not annoying or anxiety-inducing.
Can Stress Really Cause Eye Floaters?
Here’s the truth: stress doesn’t directly cause floaters in the same way it causes, say, a tension headache or upset stomach (phew!). But stress can make you more aware of them. When you're anxious, your body is on high alert. You become more sensitive to sensations… tight shoulders, quickened breath, and yes, changes in your vision. You start to overthink what is going on with your vision and spiral in thinking you will go blind soon!
So while stress might not create new floaters, it can heighten your awareness of them, and even make them feel more intense. Anxiety can also cause eye strain, fatigue, and dry eyes, which can add to visual disturbances and make things feel worse.
When Should I Worry?
Most of the time, floaters are harmless and part of aging. But if you notice:
A sudden increase in floaters
Bright flashes of light
Loss of peripheral (side) vision
...it’s important to see an eye doctor right away. AND we don’t want to turn to Dr. Google or WebMD as they usually state the worse-case scenario, not really giving you the relief you were seeking in doing a quick search for answers.
Real Talk: Floaters + Anxiety = A Spiral
If you’re someone who lives with anxiety, especially health anxiety, you probably know the feeling: something small happens in your body, and your brain immediately goes into detective mode. You notice a floater drifting across your vision and suddenly you’re asking yourself: “What is that? Has that always been there? Is it getting worse? Could it be something serious? Am I going blind?”
Before you know it, you’re holding your breath, hyper-focused on your vision, and refreshing Google search results like your life depends on it. The body tenses. Your chest tightens. Your heartbeat picks up. And the more you focus on the floater, the more intense it seems to get.
This is how anxiety works, it zooms in on uncertainty. And because floaters move and shift around, they can become a perfect storm for anxious brains. Even if they’re harmless, the thoughts about them feel anything but.
This is where the mind-body connection really shows up. Floaters themselves might not be dangerous, but the spiral of fear, worry, and overthinking? That can take a toll. You start avoiding things, feeling on edge, or struggling to concentrate on your day.
That’s where therapy can really help. It’s not just about calming your nerves… it’s about breaking the cycle. Therapy gives you a space to untangle the fear, understand your triggers, and find grounding tools that actually work when your body feels out of control.
Because you deserve to feel safe in your body, even when your vision gets a little weird.
3 Ways to Calm the Anxiety Around Floaters
Ground Yourself in Reality
Remind yourself that floaters are common and usually not harmful. Repeat this when your mind spirals.Practice Eye Relaxation
Use the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It gives your eyes (and brain) a break.Limit the Googling
Dr. Internet rarely helps and often increases fear. Instead, talk to a real professional, either a medical doctor or a therapist.
5 Ways a Therapist Can Help If Stress Is Affecting Your Vision
Address Health Anxiety: Learn how anxiety impacts how we interpret body sensations like floaters.
Build Coping Tools: Get grounded strategies to manage anxious thoughts when floaters show up.
Understand the Mind-Body Connection: Explore how stress affects your body—including your eyes.
Challenge Catastrophic Thinking: Work through fears like “What if this means I’m going blind?” with logic and support.
Create a Calm Baseline: Reduce overall stress, so your body isn’t always in a state of high alert.
Therapy doesn’t make the floater go away, but it can help you change your relationship with it.
When you work with a therapist, especially one who understands anxiety, you can:
Interrupt the spiral before it takes over your day.
Challenge catastrophic thoughts like “What if this means something serious?” and replace them with balanced thinking.
Build a toolkit of calming strategies that ground you in the moment, even when your brain is screaming danger.
Understand your patterns, so you can stop the cycle of over-focusing, reassurance-seeking, or panicking every time a new sensation shows up.
Rebuild trust in your body and learn to tolerate uncertainty, without assuming the worst.
Most importantly, therapy gives you space to talk openly about fears you might be too embarrassed to say out loud. Because the truth is, so many people feel this way, and you’re not alone.
Your experience is valid. Your anxiety makes sense. And with the right support, it doesn’t have to run the show.
You’re Not "Imagining" It, But You Don’t Have to Fear It
Stress may not create eye floaters, however, it can absolutely make you notice them more. And if you’re dealing with anxiety, especially health anxiety, it’s easy to feel like your body is working against you. The good news? You're not alone, and you don’t have to figure this out by yourself.
Therapy can help you make sense of what you're feeling, both emotionally and physically. You deserve peace in your body and your mind. Reach out today to live a more stress-free life.
