Continuous stress and elevated cortisol levels have been shown to negatively impact the eye and brain due to autonomic nervous system imbalance and vascular deregulation. (Click article link for detailed information)
Glaucoma, for example, is an eye condition damaging the optic nerve, the health of which is vital for good vision. This damage is often caused by an abnormally high pressure in your eye, and the pressure tends to be higher due to elevated cortisol (stress hormone) level.
What can you do about lowering stress? We recommend exercising, doing some yoga and meditating!
At Vision Loss Alliance, we offer several fitness and movement courses for our Health and Wellness Program participants.
Our Yoga class is aimed to help our students:
1. gain balance – when vision loss occurs, since visual cues are no longer available, balance tends to suffer;
2. learn to meditate – to reap all the benefits of quieting one’s mind;
3. get exercise – low-impact exercise is a great way to lower cortisol levels and release endorphins!
Please consider donating to our programs on #givingTuesday, so we can continue to offer programs for the health and well being of people in our community who are blind or have low vision!