Pregnancy & Your Vision: Women’s Eye Health & Safety Month

Pregnancy is a wonderful time in the lives of many women, filled with excitement, expectation, and preparation. It is also a time of great change in a woman’s body. Pregnancy brings with it rising hormones, which can affect an expectant mother’s health, including eye health, and cause vision changes. 
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Most conditions that cause changes in vision are temporary and return to normal after delivery. However, soon-to-be mothers should be aware of vision changes during pregnancy, know what symptoms indicate a more serious eye problem, and when to see an eye doctor. That is the subject of this post in our Women’s Eye Health & Safety Month blog series. 
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There are eight (8) areas of eye health to be aware of during pregnancy, including:

1. Refractive Changes
2. Dry Eye Syndrome
3. Contact Lens Usage
4. Puffy Eyelids
5. Migraine Headaches
6. Diabetes, including Gestational Diabetes
7. High Blood Pressure
8. Glaucoma

 
We’ll explore each of these in detail. 
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Refractive Changes

It is not uncommon for women to experience a change in the strength of correction needed in eyeglasses or contact lenses during pregnancy. Increasing hormone levels can alter your prescription needs. Be aware of changes in your vision and report them to and discuss them with your eye doctor. Your eye doctor can rule out signs of serious eye problems, as well as help you decide whether to change your prescription or wait until a few weeks after delivery. 

Dry Eye Syndrome

Some women develop or experience dry eye syndrome during pregnancy, which often goes away after delivery. Lubricating or rewetting eye drops are safe for use during pregnancy and nursing and can lessen the discomfort of dry eyes. 

Contact Lens Usage

Many women will be relieved to know that contact lenses can be worn during pregnancy, and contact lens solutions and enzymatic cleaners are safe to use. However, eyes may become more irritated from the combination of dry eyes and contacts. To minimize the irritation, contact lenses can be cleaned with enzymatic cleaner more frequently. Your contact lenses may become too uncomfortable to wear at some point, but this should return to normal a few weeks after deliver. 

Puffy Eyelids

Puffiness around the eyes and of the eyelids is common during pregnancy. To minimize the puffiness, which may interfere with peripheral vision, drink lots of water and minimize sodium and caffeine intake. 

Migraine Headaches

Pregnant women may suffer from migraine headaches due to hormonal changes. Migraines can cause eyes to be more sensitive to light. Talk with your doctor before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications to treat your migraines. 

Diabetes & Gestational Diabetes

Diabetes can lead to diabetic eye disease, a serious vision threatening condition, in any person who is diabetic. Regardless of whether you are diabetic before pregnancy or develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, you must monitor your vision closely. Blurred vision or changes in vision can be a sign of elevated blood sugar levels, and you should visit your eye doctor immediately for examination. 

High Blood Pressure

During pregnancy, high blood pressure can cause changes in vision, including blurred vision, floaters, and flashes. These can be signs that high blood pressure is becoming excessive and that a retinal tear or detachment is developing. Retinal tears and detachments are serious, vision-threatening conditions if not evaluated and treated promptly. If you notice changes in your vision or are seeing floaters and flashes, contact your eye doctor immediately. 

Glaucoma

If you have glaucoma and are pregnant or considering pregnancy, speak with your eye doctor. While many glaucoma therapies are safe to take during pregnancy, certain glaucoma medications such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors can cause harm to your developing baby. Your eye doctor can develop a treatment plant that’s safe for both of you. 

If you are expecting a newborn or considering / planning a pregnancy, contact us to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor to discuss your eye health and vision during this important time. 

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