Vision Problems During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can affect you normal vision and it takes place to as much as 15 percent of all pregnant women. During pregnancy, changes in hormones, metabolic process, fluid retention, and blood flow can all impact your eyes and your eyesight.

Causes

Water retention, for example, might slightly increase the density and curvature of your cornea. It’s a little change, but it could affect whether your glasses or contacts still correct your vision. It’s likewise the factor laser eye surgery isn’t really suggested during pregnancy, and why it’s not a good time to be fitted for new contact lenses or purchase a new set of glasses.

If your vision does change during pregnancy, it will probably be small and temporary. Most symptoms will reverse themselves within a number of months of delivery.

If you wear glasses, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to alter your prescription, however it is possible. Most women who experience a long lasting modification find that they’re a bit more nearsighted than they were before pregnancy.

If you think your vision has actually altered considerably, see an eye doctor (eye doctor) for an examination.

What Type of Vision Problems Can I Get During Pregnancy?

1. Dryness and irritation

Your eyes might be drier and more irritated during pregnancy (and for as long as you’re breastfeeding). This, in addition to subtle changes in the shape and density of the cornea, can make it uncomfortable to wear contact lenses.

2. Visual disturbances from migraines

You may likewise notice flashing lights or blind spots. One possible cause is a condition called migraine headache with aura, which some women experience for the very first time during pregnancy. In this condition, a painful headache (generally on one side of the head) is preceded by an aura. This can include visual disturbances, such as bright flashes of light, zigzag lines, blind spots, and even temporary loss of vision. It’s possible to have aura symptoms without the headache.

3. Eye disease

Some women with an otherwise healthy pregnancy establish an eye disease called central serous chorioretinopathy. In this condition, fluid develops under the retina (the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye). Layers of the retina then separate and distort vision, developing blind spots.

This condition is connected to stress hormones and normally develops in late pregnancy, but it can also occur in the first or 2nd trimester. Vision generally goes back to normal toward completion of your pregnancy or within a couple of months after delivery.

4. Modifications to existing eye conditions

Pregnancy can also improve or worsen existing eye conditions. For example, if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, this condition often worsens during pregnancy. See your optometrist before you get pregnant and again in early pregnancy to get screened for damage to the blood vessels in your retina (diabetic retinopathy). You’ll also need to have more regular eye examinations while you’re pregnant and in the postpartum period.

Glaucoma, on the other hand, in some cases enhances during pregnancy, so your eye doctor might be able to decrease the dose of your medication — and minimize your baby’s exposure to it.

Dry Eyes During Pregnancy

Ask your eye doctor about safe treatments for dry eyes. Some non-prescription solutions are fine to use, however others contain active components that might not be totally safe during pregnancy.

If you have contacts, attempt using them for much shorter stretches of time. If that does not help, change to glasses until you have your baby.

Take regular breaks from the TV, computer, and smartphone. Looking at a screen for long periods of time and not blinking as often as usual can make dryness and inflammation worse.

Is Vision Problem While Pregnant Dangerous?

Some changes in vision can be symptoms of potentially dangerous conditions, such as hypertension. About 25 percent of women with severe preeclampsia and 50 percent of women with eclampsia experience visual symptoms, which have the tendency to aggravate as the condition becomes more severe. Symptoms consist of blurred vision, inability to focus the eyes, blind spots, double vision, and flashes of light.

Make sure to let your doctor or midwife understand right away if you have:

• Blind spots
• Sensitivity to light
• Spots or flashing lights in your vision
• Double vision
• Temporary loss of vision
• Blurry vision

Likewise call your supplier if you have eye pain or inflammation, or if you discover swelling or puffiness around your eyes — another symptom that may accompany preeclampsia.