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Eyes hint at hidden mental-health conditions (2019)

nature.com

11–20 of 44 posts

Re: Eyes hint at hidden mental-health conditions (2019)

#11
post #8

This is anecdotal, but I've noticed that prepubescent kids under a lot of stress and anxiety often wear glasses at a young age - either they have very strict parents with lots of rules (and sometimes anger issues) or parents who are having marital issues that make the child feel very insecure.

I always assumed the all kids having glasses anymore thing was just because they spend way too much time on phones and tablets watching tv. It used to be common knowledge that sitting too close to a screen messed up your vision, and somehow we threw that advice out the window.

What if it wasn’t? There were few anecdotal miracle stories that excessive VR usage fixed cross eyes and shortsightedness for some people. Don’t make sense, unless mental well-being had been one part of the cause all along.

Not to say everyone with vision problems should jump into dubious “practices” like playing VR games all day long or start taking some drugs, no, but I think a link between vision and mind is an interesting possibility.

Re: Eyes hint at hidden mental-health conditions (2019)

#12
post #6

When I saw the title I thought of people I know who have “crazy eyes” (as I’ve heard it called). I can’t even define what it is, but know it when I see it, and often that person seems off somehow. I’ve been trying to decide for a while if it’s real or some sort of confirmation bias after I know them better.

I had the exact same thought. I think these "crazy eyes" come from a predisposition to view other people (e.g. other skin colors, genders, or just other humans) as a threat. It's always that fixed stare, unblinking face, and enlarged pupils. It almost is like right before one's cat decides to launch a sneak attack on your leg as your round the corner, but usually more dangerous (either physically or emotionally).

Re: Eyes hint at hidden mental-health conditions (2019)

#14
post #8

This is anecdotal, but I've noticed that prepubescent kids under a lot of stress and anxiety often wear glasses at a young age - either they have very strict parents with lots of rules (and sometimes anger issues) or parents who are having marital issues that make the child feel very insecure.

I always assumed the all kids having glasses anymore thing was just because they spend way too much time on phones and tablets watching tv. It used to be common knowledge that sitting too close to a screen messed up your vision, and somehow we threw that advice out the window.

Last I heard the major contributor to childhood myopia was a lack of outdoor light exposure. Screen time is a red herring compared to spending daylight hours outside.

https://www.businessinsider.com/kids-that-play-outside-need-...

Re: Eyes hint at hidden mental-health conditions (2019)

#16
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always assumed the all kids having glasses anymore thing was just because they spend way too much time on phones and tablets watching tv. It used to be common knowledge that sitting too close to a screen messed up your vision, and somehow we threw that advice out the window.

It is a myth that sitting too close to a screen will cause your eyesight to deteriorate. Time spent using screens contributes to eyestrain, but not a change in vision (supposedly)

And because age does cause your eyesight to deteriorate and you need to accumulate age to accumulate time spent in front of screen, people think it must be all the time in front of the screen.

Re: Eyes hint at hidden mental-health conditions (2019)

#17

Eyes are brain

It's a bit of an oversimplification, but it's not too far off the mark. Human vision is pretty poor in terms of resolution and distance. But if you stop and think about it, it's incredible that we see as well as we do, or even at all! Proper vision requires a huge amount of brain real estate. The coordination of muscles involved in movements is incredibly complex. The eyeball is so special that it's got immune privileges no other body part has. The retina can detect a single photon hitting it.

Re: Eyes hint at hidden mental-health conditions (2019)

#18
> But despite these concerns, eye tests have the potential to change how neurological and mental-health conditions are diagnosed, and Silverstein is excited to see this unusual idea move forward. “I’ve been studying vision and schizophrenia for 30 years,” he says. “Nobody ever thought of looking into the eye.”

Dr. Jack Kevorkian studied the eyes in detail, which led him later on to declare time of death more accurately. Sounds like we need to look into his research more.

And don't ask how doctors decide if you're dead or not now.

Re: Eyes hint at hidden mental-health conditions (2019)

#20
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always assumed the all kids having glasses anymore thing was just because they spend way too much time on phones and tablets watching tv. It used to be common knowledge that sitting too close to a screen messed up your vision, and somehow we threw that advice out the window.

Last I heard the major contributor to childhood myopia was a lack of outdoor light exposure. Screen time is a red herring compared to spending daylight hours outside. https://www.businessinsider.com/kids-that-play-outside-need-...

Outdoor activity is being outcompeted by screens so it seems very relevant to me.
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