Vision Changes Common During Pregnancy

Once you receive a positive pregnancy test, get ready for your body to undergo a host of changes in the upcoming months. Most notably will be a change in your appearance -- the growing belly that is a clear sign of impending motherhood. Yet hormones can create many other changes that you may not expect, impacting areas such as your vision, which usually return to normal after delivery. Here are some basic changes that can occur:

∙ blurred vision

∙ sensitivity to light

∙ floaters (sensations of seeing floating particles, more common with light eyes)

∙ dry eyes

∙ changes in prescriptions for contact lenses and glasses

∙ contact lens discomfort

∙ further deterioration of preexisting eye conditions

∙ the cornea may become more susceptible to eye infections

While there are basic, less serious vision changes, in other cases, changes in visual ability could be a sign of a serious health problem. Blurred vision in a woman may indicate the presence of gestational diabetes, an elevation of blood sugar during the last half of a pregnancy. Blurring or spots can also indicate that the expectant mother has high blood pressure or is experiencing Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension (PIH), an increase in blood pressure which usually occurs after the 20th week. Other conditions expectant mothers may be susceptible to -- Preeclampsia and Eclamosia, which can elevate blood pressure to extreme levels -- can actually cause hemorrhages in the eye and even a detached retina.

In general, a woman’s immune system is compromised during pregnancy. The body allocates so much energy toward protecting the fetus that mom-to-be may pay the price. Discuss any changes in vision or strange complications you may have with your obstetrician. He or she may alleviate your fears by explaining that your vision problems are simply routine and normal or, in some instances, may recommend that you visit an optician or ophthalmologist for further testing.