Pregnancy And Baby Care Conditions During Pregnancy Blurred Vision During Pregnancy

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Some women notice vision problems even before they realize that they are pregnant. In the initial stages of pregnancy, blurred vision is probably more difficult to deal with, because of all the other changes that you can feel within your body. Of course, this symptom can be just as unnerving for some moms-to-be even when it occurs during the later stages of pregnancy.

Blurred vision during pregnancy is usually accompanied by excessive dryness and irritation in the eyes. You may not be able to see as well as you did before getting pregnant and if you wear contact lenses, they may cause some discomfort.

The good news is that these vision changes are probably temporary. Your eyesight should go back to normal once your baby is born.

Blurred Vision During Pregnancy Causes

Most of the changes that take place within your body during pregnancy are a result of pregnancy hormones.

Ironically, the surge in pregnancy hormones may increase your tendency to cry. At the same time, the reduction of androgens (a male hormone) in the body could decrease the amount of tears that are produced. This not only leads to eye dryness and irritation, but also decreases visual acuity to some extent.

Pregnancy hormones also increase the buildup of fluid in your eyes (just like your ankles and face). The extra fluid causes the cornea and lens to thicken a bit and so the structure of your eyeball gets altered. These changes in the curvature of the eye result in hazy and blurry vision.

Even though blurred vision during pregnancy is not a major cause for concern, you need to let your doctor know about the symptoms you are experiencing. Serious vision changes could be an indication of:

• Gestational diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH)
• Preeclampsia

Your doctor may want to conduct a few tests to rule out the possibility of any serious problem.

Blurred Vision Symptoms

Blurred vision is not a condition, but a symptom of changes in the eyeball structure during pregnancy. Along with blurriness, you may also experience other symptoms, like:

• Irritation and excess dryness in the eyes
• Itching and discomfort
• Appearance of spots or flashing lights in front of the eyes
• Double vision
• Floaters
• Dimming vision

In some instances, these symptoms could point towards a more serious problem. Therefore, if you experience hazy or blurry vision, dimness, spots and floaters for more than two hours, you may want to call your practitioner.

Blurred Vision During Pregnancy Treatment

In case you are only facing the problem of slight blurring in your vision, your doctor probably won’t ask you to undergo any form of treatment. Of course, there are steps you can take, to reduce the discomfort that you are going through. You can:

• Avoid wearing contact lenses: Since there are changes in the thickness and shape of your eye lens, contacts will probably worsen the vision problems. Switch over to glasses for the rest of your pregnancy. You should be able to start wearing lenses again, around 3 to 6 months after childbirth.
• Use eye drops: Ask your doctor to prescribe some lubricating eye drops to reduce the dryness in your eyes. While these eye drops are easily available over the counter, check with your doctor for recommended brands and dosage.
• Give it a rest: Pregnancy can be a tiring and stressful time for any pregnant woman. However, you need to make sure that your body and your eyes are well-rested throughout pregnancy. Avoid staring at a computer screen a long period of time. Getting the required amount of sleep will reduce the strain on your eyes and keep vision problems in control.

If the vision changes are a symptom of a serious underlying condition, you will need to go through the appropriate treatment recommended by your doctor. Therefore, keep your doctor informed as soon as you notice any changes in your vision during pregnancy.