Pregnancy is the most magical phase of your life. After all, you’re expecting to hold a cuddly baby girl after you’ve passed the 9 month journey. With the baby in you, you will experience many changes in your body as well as in your mind. You will experience nausea, constipation, bloating and anxiety. There are also chances of experiencing signs of blurred vision during pregnancy.
Since visiting the doctor is the norm during your pregnancy, by visiting the healthcare you would understand that suffering from vision problems is common. There are chances that your eyes may become red, itchy or give a grainy feeling from the first trimester to the last.
You will need to explore more about pregnancy and vision changes.
How does pregnancy cause blurred vision?
According to a researchabout 15% of you may suffer from poor vision during pregnancy.
Although this problem can occur at any point during the pregnancy journey, some of you may suffer from blurred vision in the first trimester as early as 10u week of your pregnancy. You will have other periods of blurred vision until you reach the mid-second trimester or third trimester.
So, from the first trimester of your pregnancy to the last, various reasons can cause blurred vision during pregnancy:
The rising hormones of pregnancy
Thanks to rising hormones, your vision changes during pregnancy. Estrogen and progesterone levels are responsible for this. Estrogen, for example, can affect the cornea by making it less rigid and more elastic. This can change the way light enters the eye and can lead to blurred vision.
Edema of pregnancy
Swelling during pregnancy occurs in the hands, feet and tissues around the eyes due to fluid retention in the body. Additionally, the American Academy of Ophthalmology explains that “progesterone-induced fluid shifts” during pregnancy can lead to vision changes, including blurred vision.
Corneal thickening or swelling
Changes in corneal curvature may occur during pregnancy, due to the hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy, and may increase in the third trimester of pregnancy. Corneal thickness in the later or third trimester of pregnancy can make your eyes feel more sensitive and can cause further blurred vision.
Dryness in the eyes
During pregnancy, tear production in the eyes decreases, making your eyes dry, itchy and irritated. Increased dryness can also make contact lens wear less comfortable and cause general eye discomfort.
Dizziness of pregnancy
Hormonal fluctuations during your pregnancy and your body weight can cause dizziness in pregnancy. Although dizziness in pregnancy is a temporary symptom, blurred vision occurs due to this dizziness. Along with this, quick movements and changing position, for example, getting up from the seat and sitting back on the seat can cause blurred vision.
Changes in the visual field
The pituitary gland tends to develop during pregnancy. It may cause a change in the visual field. This may further indicate that peripheral vision and visual field are reduced during pregnancy.
Pregnancy health conditions – Pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes
About 2% to 8% of pregnancies are affected by preeclampsia. When you visit the healthcare professional after 32n.d week, the doctor checks the presence of protein in the urine. In addition, approximately 14% of pregnancies may suffer from gestational diabetes. Uncontrolled and untreated health conditions such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes can cause dizziness, fainting or headaches in pregnancy.
What are the ways to treat blurred vision during pregnancy?
You cannot prevent blurred vision during your pregnancy, but you should wait until you deliver your baby to get rid of blurred vision during pregnancy. Your doctor may give you eye drops. It will advise you to wear sunglasses whenever you are under the sun. You may tend to limit screen time, get as much rest as possible, and do eye exercises.
Blurred vision during pregnancy, like all other pregnancy symptoms, is a serious pregnancy challenge. But, this time you accept the challenges of pregnancy and enjoy the journey.
