When a woman becomes pregnant, she should expect a number of changes to her body – and this includes her vision! Pregnancy and vision problems are linked, and it’s typical for a pregnant woman to experience some changes to her eyesight.
The good news is that these changes almost always go away after the baby is born, but you should be aware of potential vision problems 
along the way.
The Most Common Pregnancy and Vision Problems
From least to most concerning:
1 – Dry Eyes
Probably the most common vision-related complaint from pregnant women is simply dry eyes. This can make your eyes red and itchy, or cause contact lenses to be uncomfortable when wearing them.
Most of the time, basic over-the-counter eye drops are all you need. If you use hard contact lenses, you might also consider switching to gentler soft lenses during the pregnancy.
2 – Blurred Vision
Pregnancy often causes fluid retention and buildup, which can happen in the eyes as well. If your eyes’ shape changes even a little, it can cause your vision to become blurry.
In some cases, it may be necessary to get new glasses during pregnancy, to counteract this. However, do not do anything permanent such as LASIK surgery. Your eyes should go back to normal after birth or, at worst, after breastfeeding ends. Just get a temporary pair of glasses.
3 – Diabetes Issues
If you have diabetes, there’s an increased chance of it harming your vision during pregnancy, due to changes to your blood sugar level. You will need to be extra careful about managing your condition, to protect your own body as well as that of your child. We highly recommend consulting with your doctor or OB/GYN to ensure your diabetes is properly managed.
4 – Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a potentially deadly condition that occasionally develops in pregnant women, where their blood pressure skyrockets and causes serious damage to their body. Vision problems are often one of the early signs of preeclampsia.
If you are pregnant and experience:
- Significant loss of vision
- Frequently seeing spots, halos, or other distortions
- Painful light sensitivity
- Heavily blurry vision
You should be checked out by your OB/GYN as soon as possible. These are serious warning signs of bigger problems.
Valley Eyecare Center wants to help you stay safe and healthy during your pregnancy. If you have any vision issues while pregnant, please contact us for a checkup and diagnosis.
