Kadrmas Eye Care New England
  • Doctors
    • Eddie Kadrmas, MD
    • Richard Strecker, MD
    • Daniel J. Townsend, MD
    • Aimee Gray, OD
    • Ashley Sousa, OD
  • Patients
    • CV-19 Statement
    • Eye Conditions >
      • Cataracts
      • Common Eye Problems >
        • Allergies
        • Amblyopia
        • Astigmatism
        • Blepharitis
        • Chalazion / Stye
        • Conjunctivitis
        • Corneal Abrasion
        • Floaters & Flashes
        • Hyperopia / Farsightedness
        • Myopia / Nearsightedness
        • Presbyopia
        • Strabismus
      • Corneal Diseases & Disorders >
        • Corneal Ulcers
        • Fuchs’ Dystrophy
        • Herpes Zoster / Shingles
        • Keratitis
        • Keratoconus
        • Pterygium
      • Diabetic Eye Disease
      • Dry Eye Syndrome
      • Eyelid Diseases & Disorders >
        • Dermatochalasis
        • Ectropion
        • Entropion
        • Eyelid Lesion
        • Ptosis
        • Tear Duct Obstruction
        • Tumor
      • Eye Trauma / Injury >
        • Blunt Trauma
        • Chemical Injury
        • Penetrating / Perforating Injury
      • Glaucoma >
        • Open Angle Glaucoma >
          • iStent
        • Narrow Angle Glaucoma
        • Neovascular Glaucoma
        • Inflammatory Glaucoma
      • Macular Diseases & Disorders >
        • Macular Degeneration
        • Macular Hole
        • Macular Pucker
      • Neurological Eye Diseases >
        • Blepharospasm
        • Double Vision
        • Ischemic Optic Neuropathy
        • Stroke / Visual Field Defect
        • Temporal Arteritis
      • Retinal Diseases & Disorders >
        • Retinal Tears & Detachments
        • Retinal Vascular Diseases
      • Uveitis & Iritis
    • Resources >
      • Eye Health & Care Blog
      • Retina Digest
    • Videos >
      • Eye Anatomy
      • Cataract
      • Laser Cataract Surgery
      • Children's Vision
      • Common Eye Problems
      • Corneal Conditions
      • Diabetic Eye Disease
      • Dry Eye Syndrome
      • Glaucoma
      • Laser & Refractive Eye Surgery
      • LASIK Over 45
      • LASIK Under 45
      • Macular Degeneration
      • Plastic Eye Surgery
      • Retinal Conditions
      • Refractive Errors
      • Routine Eye Exams
    • Forms & Policies >
      • New Patient Forms
      • HIPAA Policy
      • Referral Forms
    • Financial Information
  • Services
    • Routine Eye Exams >
      • Children
      • Adults
    • Hearing Therapy
    • Specialized Eye Exams >
      • Dilated Eye Exam / Slit Lamp Examination
      • Fluorescein Angiogram
      • Indocyanine Green Angiogram
      • Nerve Fiber Analysis
      • Optical Coherence Tomography
      • Refraction
      • Tonometry
      • Visual Acuity Testing
      • Visual Field Testing
    • Medical, Injection & Surgical / Laser Eye Care
    • Contact Lenses >
      • Contact Lens Types
      • Contact Lens Care & Safety
    • Refractive Eye Surgery >
      • LASIK Eye Surgery
      • PRK
      • Clear Lens Extraction
      • Implantable Collamer Lenses
    • Oculoplastic Surgery & Cosmetic Procedures >
      • Blepharoplasty
      • BOTOX®
      • Restylane®
  • Locations
    • Plymouth
    • Wareham
    • Mashpee
    • Surgery Centers
  • About
    • News
    • Affiliations
    • Patient Reviews
  • Careers
  • Contact
To Schedule Your Eye Appointment, Please Call 1-508-746-8600

Patient Resources - Eye Health & Care Blog

Does Breastfeeding Affect Vision | National Breastfeeding Month

8/1/2022

 
Picture
August is National Breastfeeding Month. We all know that breastfeeding is beneficial for your baby. We also know that pregnancy and breastfeeding can cause various changes in your body, but can breastfeeding change vision? The answer may surprise you. Keep reading the post below to learn how breastfeeding can affect vision and how to keep your eyes healthy. 

How can breastfeeding affect vision?

In some cases, breastfeeding moms may develop certain vision changes. The reason why changes to vision may occur are usually related to hormonal changes that occur in pregnancy and can continue while breastfeeding. Possible vision changes include:

Blurry vision: Some women develop blurry vision when pregnant or breastfeeding. This can occur due to increased fluid retention. The fluid that can give you swollen feet can also build up in other areas of the body, including behind the eyeball.

Refractory errors: Refractory errors may also occur postpartum in breastfeeding women. This also occurs due to fluid buildup that can affect the cornea and lens. Refractory errors may include problems with farsightedness or nearsightedness.

Puffy eyes and dark circles: Puffy eyes can occur for a few reasons in breastfeeding moms. Sometimes, changes in hormone levels that occur may lead to puffy eyelids. In addition, lack of sleep that may go hand in hand with having a baby may lead to puffiness and dark circles. 
​

Maintaining healthy eyes postpartum 

Maintaining good vision and healthy eyes postpartum are important for your overall wellbeing. So many changes occur during pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing that it can be hard to know what is normal and what is not. Some minor vision changes are probably nothing to worry about, but changes in hormone levels can worsen existing eye problems, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, most eye problems that occur during pregnancy and breastfeeding due to hormonal changes and fluid retention usually resolve in the postpartum period. Still, there are a few things you can do to promote healthy vision during this time, such as:

Make time for yourself: It is easier said than done with a new baby to make time for yourself, but it is essential to make certain things a priority. Try to get enough sleep, exercise, and eat a well-balanced diet. These healthy lifestyle habits promote overall wellbeing, including eye health.

Take care of existing eye conditions: If you have an eye condition prior to pregnancy, it can become worse during pregnancy and during postpartum time. Even with all you have going on, do not neglect your eye health. Also, do not ignore serious eye symptoms, such as:
  • Vision loss
  • Seeing floaters
  • Eye pain
  • Headaches with eye pain

Have an eye exam: It is a good idea to have an eye exam a few months after giving birth. Hormone levels may regulate two to three months after having a baby. Also, the fluid buildup may decrease. Changes you had during pregnancy and early breastfeeding may have resolved. Of course, if you have significant changes to your vision, see an eye doctor sooner. 

Try to get enough sleep: Although it may seem impossible at times, try to get enough sleep. Getting adequate sleep is good for your health and your vision. Accept help if you can. Take a nap when the baby does. Leave household work for another time and get the rest you need. 

If you have any questions about vision changes during nursing, we are happy to help. Also, if you would like to ask whether an appointment with one of our eye doctors would be appropriate at this time, call our office at 508-746-8600. 


Comments are closed.

    EYE HEALTH BLOG


    CLICK HERE to sign up for our eye health / care newsletter and have it delivered automatically to your inbox each month!

    Categories

    All
    AMD
    Astigmatism
    Cataract
    Children's Eye Health
    Color Blindness
    Conjunctivitis
    Contact Lens
    Cornea
    Cosmetic Eye Surgery
    Covid 19
    Diabetic Eye Disease
    Driving
    Dry Eyes
    Eye Allergies
    Eye Cancer
    Eye Exam
    Eye Health & Safety
    Eye Infections
    Eye Strain
    Glaucoma
    Injuries
    Low Vision
    Lupus
    Macula
    Myasthenia Gravis
    Organ Donation
    Retina
    Retinopathy
    Scleritis
    Senior Eye Health
    Sports
    Stroke
    Stye
    Uvea
    Vision Correction
    Vision Loss
    Women's Eye Health

    RSS Feed


    Picture

Kadrmas Eye Care New England

55 Commerce Way, Plymouth, MA 02360
14 Tobey Road, Wareham, MA 02571
133 Falmouth Road (Rt 28), Mashpee, MA 02649
Phone Number:
​1-508-746-8600

Hours:
Monday through Friday - 
8 AM - 4:30 PM 
© 2015-2021 Kadrmas Eye Care New England • All Rights Reserved
KadrmasEyeCare.com Privacy Policy • Disclaimer of Medical Liability
Proudly powered by Weebly
Design by DivTag Templates