Pregnancy is no easy task. Carrying mothers go through a lot of problems both physically and emotionally when pregnant. The most common symptoms or discomforts experienced by expectant mothers are morning sickness, constipation, nausea. However, there are other discomforts which are not very common such as changes in vision. While vision changes are a normal and regular symptom of pregnancy, sometimes it may cause long-term effects even after your pregnancy ends. Some women notice drastic vision changes even before they realize they are pregnant.
What Causes Blurred Vision In Pregnant Women?
Everything you experience in pregnancy can be pointed at your hormones. Your hormones are the real players, causing all the trouble and uncomfortable symptoms when you’re carrying. Hormones can control your legs, arms and also your eyes. If your hormones can cause your ankles to swell, they can also cause fluid to build up in your eye. Though fluid retention is a common symptom in pregnancy, it may affect your cornea. When there is a fluid build-up in your eye, your lens and cornea may thicken thereby altering the fluid pressure in your eyeball. This ultimately leads to a blurry vision and may cause your vision to be hazy.
Moreover, your pregnancy hormones affect your tear production, bringing it down enough to decrease your visual clarity and acuity. When pregnant, the production of progesterone is increased in your body thereby softening the corneal tissues leading to a blurry vision in the end.
What Are The Symptoms?
Though blurry vision is common during pregnancy, sometimes it can be a symptom of a bigger underlying problem. Here are the symptoms you may face:
- Irritation In Eyes
- Dry Eye
- Double Vision
- Spots In Your Vision
- Floaters
- Discomfort
Blurry vision can sometimes be a symptom of a more serious problem. Blurry vision and other vision problems can sometimes point to a more complex situation such as pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition affecting about 3 to 5 percent of all pregnancies. Symptoms include high blood pressure and vision changes like blurred vision, photophobia, or even temporary blindness. If your vision changes are accompanied by other symptoms like headaches, vomiting, abdominal pain, swelling, you must visit your doctor right away. Blurred vision may also point to a few other conditions like gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Other Possible Changes In Your Eyes During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, your hormones affect the lacrimal glands which are responsible for tear production. The hormones act on these glands and decrease the production of tears thereby causing dry eyes.
Pregnancy can sometimes be accompanied by a decrease in intraocular pressure. This effect may be more pronounced in women suffering from ocular hypertension. After the first trimester, pregnancy may also have a beneficial effect on women suffering from chronic uveitis, who often report a lower incidence of flare-ups for the remainder of their pregnancies.
Ptosis or drooping eyelids are another common symptoms during pregnancy. Ptosis is usually unilateral meaning occurring only one side. It is mostly caused due to stress and hormone fluctuations.
Treatment of Blurred Vision During Pregnancy
Your healthcare provisioner will most probably not do anything to fix your blurry vision during pregnancy unless it’s extremely severe. Your doctor will recommend you wait for at least six months after your delivery before you undergo any type of corrective surgery. Also, if you plan on having babies, refrain from getting any corrective surgery at least six weeks prior to conception. Stop using contact lenses six months prior to your conception.
Sometimes, you may still suffer from blurred vision even after delivery. But it is normal for this to happen for a few weeks after delivery too. Your ophthalmologist will most probably ask you to wait off for your eyes to heal on their own. If you plan on having a baby, or you’re already carrying, talk to your healthcare provisioner about all possible changes and outcomes related to vision and hormonal changes.
