Blurry vision is a real thing affecting pregnant woman. This can be hard to believe, but your vision changes during pregnancy. Hormones are responsible for a number of changes in your body and vision is one of them. These changes cause fluids to build-up resulting in swelling of the area around ankles and abdominal bloating. The same fluid accumulates in your eyes too, causing changes in vision.
Some women may not be affected at all or the condition may be too mild to notice. Those who notice this, find that it gets worse as their pregnancy progresses. Others may only experience dryness or itchiness in their eyes, which is also common during pregnancy.
Causes of Blurry Vision
The imbalance of hormones causes the cells and tissues of your body to retain fluid. This leads to the thickening of the lens and corneas. If you already have near-sightedness or far-sightedness, then you may experience that your condition grows more in pregnancy. The thickness in cornea can make it harder for you wear contacts comfortably. It’s better to switch to glasses, till things resolve.
The surge in estrogen levels can also lead to a condition known as dry eyes. This is due to the less production of tears in your eyes, but not so, when you cry though. Dry eyes can be irritating and uncomfortable. You may develop blurry vision or high sensitivity to sunlight. If you rub your eyes excessively owing to irritation, you may end up damaging the cornea. You maybe prone to developing infection also around the time of pregnancy. This condition can be relieved by using prescribed eye drops. You may opt to use sunglasses to block sunlight when you head out.
When does blurry vision start?
Most women experience this condition in their final trimester. Some may notice this in their early pregnancy as well. Since blurry vision is affected by pregnancy hormones, this condition goes away after the delivery. Your sight may remain blurry for six weeks to few months postpartum.
If you experience sudden, big changes in vision, accompanied by other symptoms such as severe headaches, you need to seek medical advice immediately, because these can be an indication of serious conditions such as diabetes or preeclampsia.
