Vision Changes During Pregnancy

Pregnancy causes changes in nearly every part of a woman's body. While some changes are more obvious, pregnancy has even been known to affect expectant mothers' eyesight. During pregnancy, women's bodies undergo changes in hormone levels, fluid retention, blood circulation, and metabolism. All of these effects of pregnancy can also affect your eyes and your vision.

There is a wide array of possible eyesight changes that can occur during pregnancy. The same build-up of fluid that causes bloating and thick ankles can also affect your vision during pregnancy. As the pressure of the fluid within the eye changes, your vision may become blurry. Water retention can change the thickness and curve of the cornea, which affects how well you can see through your glasses or contact lenses. Fluid retention may also cause your contacts to stop fitting as well as they did before you got pregnant. Consider switching to glasses during your pregnancy, or ask your doctor about whether eye drops may help your contacts fit more comfortably during this time.

Most women whose vision changes during this time experience minor changes, with the most common change being slightly more nearsighted than they were before pregnancy. These changes may be permanent, or they may reverse themselves after the baby is born. If you wear corrective lenses, you probably will not need to change your prescription during this time because the changes will not be substantial enough, though it is possible.

You should also avoid undergoing laser eye surgery during pregnancy and for up to six months after your baby is born, since your eyesight may continue to change during this time. Although laser eye surgery will not hurt your baby, it could lead to over- or under-correction if performed during surgery, which could require you to undergo another surgery later.

Existing eye conditions can also be affected by pregnancy, both positively and negatively. If you have preexisting diabetes (rather than gestational diabetes mellitis), you should be checked several times throughout the pregnancy for diabetic retinopathy, which indicates damage to the blood vessels of the retina. This condition often worsens during pregnancy. On the other hand, glaucoma is more likely to improve during this time, which could require changes to your glaucoma medications.

Hormones related to pregnancy can decrease the production of tears, leading to dryness, irritation, and eye discomfort. These changes are temporary, and your eyes should no longer be dry after pregnancy. In the meantime, use eye drops to keep your eyes lubricated.

Vision changes during pregnancy are not uncommon, but they are some of the lesser-known physical changes that can happen during this time. If you have trouble seeing clearly during your pregnancy, visit an ophthalmologist for possible solutions, such as a prescription for glasses or contacts to be used during your pregnancy. Though most vision changes during pregnancy do not indicate a serious health problem, they should be mentioned to your doctor. Some serious health concerns such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, hypertension, or preeclamsia can affect your vision.

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