Pregnancy involves many changes in the body, and vision is no exception. Many pregnant women experience temporary vision problems that can cause discomfort and blurriness of their eyesight for several weeks or months. From causes to treatment, here’s what you need to know about how pregnancy affects your vision.
Pregnancy can have a noticeable effect on visual acuity. Many women experience blurriness, double vision and/or changes in contrast sensitivity — the ability to differentiate between shades of gray — while pregnant. There can also be an increase in the curvature of the eye, problems focusing or converging two eyes simultaneously, and reduced brightness sensitivity.
These vision changes during pregnancy are largely attributable to hormonal or cardiovascular changes that bring about alterations in the oxygen levels of the eye. Various fluids inside the eye can also sometimes go up by 50%. These alterations can increase pressure on the retina and optic nerve, resulting in vision changes.
The good news is that these changes in visual acuity are generally temporary and tend to subside once the pregnancy comes to an end. However, if these vision problems become severe or lessen a pregnant woman’s day-to-day life quality, it can be beneficial to seek suitable treatment. There might be a series of vision tests that can be performed to confirm issues. If visual issues are confirmed, you might be prescribed glasses, contact lenses in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, or some other form of treatment.
It’s important to remember that some minor vision changes while pregnant are perfectly normal. However, if you feel like these changes in visual acuity are becoming disruptive to your life or causing distress, be sure to consult Joel H McGahen OD in Chambersburg, PA.
With an eye doctor in Shippensburg, PA, on your side, you can rest assured any eye-related complications associated with pregnancy will be addressed. Contact us through our website or call us at (717) 264-4012 to schedule a consultation. We are proud to be your low-vision specialist in Greencastle, PA.