Functional Visual Symptoms, Accommodative Dysfunction, and Visual Performance Alterations in Chronic Work-Related...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Psychosomatic Medicine
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Chronic work-related stress, including mobbing, has known psychological and somatic effects.
• The impact of stress on visual function, especially without structural ocular damage, is not well understood.
• This review explores the link between chronic stress, autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation, and functional visual disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine the evidence linking chronic stress, ANS dysregulation, and functional visual disorders.
• To focus on accommodative function and asthenopia (eye strain) as key areas of impact.
• To propose a pathophysiological framework for stress-related visual dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative narrative review of literature from 2000-2025.
• Searched major biomedical databases for studies on chronic stress, ANS activity, accommodative function, digital eye strain, and ocular symptoms.
• Integrated findings into a coherent pathophysiological framework.

Main Results:

• The eye, heavily innervated by the ANS, can be affected by prolonged stress-induced autonomic changes.
• Evidence indicates chronic stress is linked to asthenopia, accommodative inefficiency, and discomfort, even without apparent eye pathology.
• Altered parasympathetic control of the ciliary muscle is a potential mechanism.

Conclusions:

• Functional visual disorders may be peripheral signs of stress-related ANS dysregulation.
• While causality is not definitively proven, the findings suggest a link.
• Further multidisciplinary research is needed to understand the clinical and medico-legal significance of stress-related visual dysfunction.