Vision changes are one of the lesser-known side effects of pregnancy.
Before all the life changes that a new baby brings, pregnancy will cause its own share of changes to a person’s body. Being pregnant comes with fluctuations in hormones, of course, but also in blood pressure, blood sugar, fluid retention, and a host of other health factors. And because whole body health is so closely connected to eye health, any or all of these changes could make themselves known in your vision as well.
If you are pregnant or planning to be, it’s important to let your vision care provider know. Together, you can monitor your vision for changes and take action quickly if necessary. In most cases, vision changes from pregnancy are temporary, and will clear up once you’ve welcomed your baby—but in some cases, vision symptoms can be the first signs of a serious condition, so you should still monitor any changes closely. Here’s what you need to know.
Even without underlying conditions, pregnancy can cause vision changes.
Subtle (and not-so-subtle) physical changes during pregnancy can make a lot of normal, routine things about your day-to-day life a bit more uncomfortable, and your eyesight is no exception. While the symptoms below can be caused by pregnancy alone, they also overlap in many cases with the symptoms of other eye-related conditions, which we’ll discuss in more detail further down. Always check in with your care provider about any new symptoms, or any symptoms that change suddenly.
During pregnancy, you might experience:
Dry eyes
Hormonal changes can shift the mix of fluids that make up your tears, causing them to evaporate faster and leave your eyes feeling dry or gritty. Contacts might be especially uncomfortable if your eyes are dry, and you may prefer not to wear them.
Standard eye drops or “artificial tears” are typically safe to use (though you should check with your doctor first) and can help ease the irritation.
Refractive errors
Pregnancy can cause you to retain water—the same condition that leads to swollen ankles. This fluid can change the shape of your cornea (the surface of your eye), causing periods of blurry vision or even a change in your glasses or contacts prescription. In practice, what this means is if you’re nearsighted, for example, you might find yourself a little more nearsighted during pregnancy.
Usually, this vision change resolves itself by the time you stop breastfeeding, but if it’s affecting your day-to-day life before or after your baby is born, you can see your vision care provider for a new lens prescription. In some cases, the change in vision can end up being permanent.
Blurry vision
In addition to fluid levels, stretches of blurry vision can also be caused by swings in blood sugar or blood pressure related to pregnancy. These fluctuations are a normal and expected part of pregnancy, but they can also complicate certain health conditions you may already have, leading to more serious concerns.
If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, work with your doctor to learn as much as possible about your health risks ahead of time, so you can be alert for emergencies.
Pregnancy can also make the symptoms of other eye-related conditions more severe.
Pregnancy is stressful for your body. If you’re facing any other health concerns at the same time, pregnancy can add another layer of difficulty on top of what your body’s already dealing with. In some cases, pregnancy’s eye-related symptoms can overlap with or compound the eye-related effects of other conditions, leading to more severe outcomes. In the case of pregnancy-specific diseases like preeclampsia, your eyes could be the first organ to feel the effects.
Diabetic retinopathy
Pregnancy can affect your blood sugar levels, sometimes enough to cause a temporary kind of diabetes called gestational diabetes. If you already know you have diabetes before you become pregnant, it’s especially important to control your blood sugar levels, because pregnancy may raise them.
In someone without diabetes, a short-term increase in blood sugar may result in temporary blurred vision. But for those with diabetes, it could worsen the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. This condition occurs when high blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina (the light-sensitive tissue) at the back of the eye. If you have diabetes, blurry vision during pregnancy might be a sign of diabetic retinopathy, and is something you should check with your care provider as soon as you can.
High blood pressure
Because pregnancy increases the amount of blood in your body and can cause you to retain fluids, it can also cause an increase in blood pressure. If your blood pressure becomes high enough, it can severely damage the blood vessels at the back of your eye, even leading to retinal detachment—a medical emergency that requires immediate care.
Symptoms to watch out for include:
- An increase in moving dark specks or “floaters” in your vision
- Flashes of light in one or both eyes
- A dark, shadow-like “curtain” in part of your vision that might start to spread
If you notice these symptoms, seek medical help right away.
Preeclampsia
This rare but serious pregnancy complication involves high blood pressure, swelling in the hands and feet, and signs of damage to the internal organs. It’s a complex condition with multiple potential causes and a long list of possible symptoms, many of which are normal during pregnancy, which can make preeclampsia hard to diagnose. The most important thing is to pay attention to any sudden changes in symptoms, and check with your care provider right away if you’re concerned.
The vision symptoms to watch for with preeclampsia are:
- Sensitivity to light
- Blurred vision
- Temporary loss of vision
Glaucoma
Pregnancy isn’t likely to cause glaucoma, but it can both raise and lower the pressure inside your eye (intraocular pressure). There’s no way to know for sure whether pregnancy will change your intraocular pressure, or in which direction, so it’s important to monitor it closely with your care provider. Also, your doctor may want to change your medication, either by adjusting the dose or switching you to one that’s safer for your baby during the pregnancy.
Be ready for whatever comes with Heritage Vision Plans.
Pregnancy’s many changes make regular, high-quality eye exams an essential part of the process. Identifying eye health concerns early gives you the best possible chance of preventing or halting permanent damage. If you are pregnant, you need a trusted vision care provider who can help you monitor your eye health and respond quickly to any issues that come up. Find one of Heritage’s hand-picked providers near you with our Provider Search Tool.