Near Point Visual Stress (NPVS)

The sympathetic nervous system is an integral part of our body's response to stress. We've all been in situations of acute stress where our heart starts racing, and our breathing quickens. Our nervous system is on high alert. This response is our body's way of gearing up for “fight or flight” in the face of immediate danger. Unfortunately, the body can also overreact to stressors that are not life-threatening. For example, the learning environment can be both a challenging and stressful environment for a child. In the classroom, they’re expected to concentrate at their desks for long periods of time and perform a variety of near vision tasks— including the use of a tablet or computer. During sustained near work, the eyes must continuously accommodate and converge to maintain clear, single vision. When the child is stressed or the visual system struggles to meet the demands that reading and learning place on the eyes, the nervous system reacts with a “fight or flight” response. This stress response pushes their focus into the distance when they need it up close, which can lead to vision problems as well as behavioral and attentional issues.

Common symptoms include headaches, eye strain, blurred vision, poor concentration, neck and shoulder tension, fatigue, and difficulty maintaining focus during near tasks.

Treatment can include; eye exercises or reading glasses. Children can also benefit greatly from simple supports such as, encouraging the correct reading distance, posture resets and calming breaths before beginning a near task.

If left unaddressed, near vision stress can potentially worsen eyesight over time. The constant strain on the eyes to focus on near objects can lead to adaptations such as myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, where distant objects appear blurry while close objects remain clear.