PREGNANCY AND YOUR VISION

Pregnancy is an exciting time in
women's lives which brings an
increase in hormones and
changes to their bodies. I
personally know what these
changes do to our bodies and
these changes are not always
exciting! Some of them are
downright miserable! While
most women can expect changes
to their waistline and complexion,
they are not always aware of
the changes that can occur to
their vision during pregnancy. In
most cases, these are temporary
eye changes that will return to
normal after delivery.

Refractive shifts are probably
the most common vision
changes that occur in pregnancy.
Changes in hormone
levels can thicken the cornea
which can alter the strength
needed in your eyeglasses or
contact lens prescription. Most
of these changes are nothing to
worry about, and the changes
may or may not reverse themselves
after delivery.

Dry eyes is another common
condition that occurs with pregnancy.
This too is usually temporary
and subsides after delivery.
It is perfectly safe to use lubricating
and rewetting drops to
lessen the discomfort of dry
eyes. Also, If you are a contact
lens wearer, these dry eye
changes can make wearing
contacts more difficult.

You may notice more puffiness
around your eyes. This
too is a change that pregnancy
hormones and water retention
can cause. It not only can make
you look tired, it could interfere
with your peripheral vision. It is
important to drink plenty of
fluids and stick to a diet low in
sodium and caffeine.

Migraine headaches are a very
common result of hormonal
changes. Painful migraines may
cause our eyes to be more light
sensitive, and light in itself can
sometimes be a trigger for the
painful migraines. Sunglasses
while outside can help to
reduce the onset of these painful
migraines.

Other possible eye changes
that can occur during pregnancy
include distorted vision
secondary to fluid build-up in
the eye or changes to side
vision or visual perception due
to a hormone secreting tumor.
There is an increased risk of
diabetes during pregnancy.
Blurry vision can be a symptom
of elevated glucose levels and a
more serious condition called
diabetic retinopathy that can
lead to blindness. All pregnant
women who have been diagnosed
with diabetes should get
a dilated eye exam!

Some women may not only
experience blurry vision but
also spots in front of their eyes
while pregnant. These changes
may be as a result of high blood
pressure. If elevated blood pressure
reaches excessive levels,
more serious conditions known
as preeclampsia and eclampsia
can occur which can cause
retinal detachments!

I have discussed several eye
changes that can occur during
pregnancy, but it is also important
to understand vision disorders
that can occur to our
unknown babies as a result of
cigarette smoking, alcohol, and
drug use. These exposures can
cause an increased risk of
amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus
(crossed eye), and significant
refractive errors in our
children.

Pregnancy brings about significant
changes to our bodies and
eyes! Some changes we
embrace as pregnant women
and some we don't! But we
need to pay attention to these
changes because they can be
signs of more serious conditions.
Just because you are
expecting a baby doesn't mean
you need to put off having your
eyes evaluated. In fact, it is more
important than ever to have a
through eye-health examination!

Sarah Burns, O.D.