How Can Pregnancy and Nursing Affect Vision
The period of a woman's pregnancy is clearly a period of change. Changes not only physical but also in the whole organism of a woman's body. So during these nine months and after their end, there are several ways that a mother's vision can be affected.
Due to the hormonal changes that the woman is experiencing, myopia can appear or worsen, observed as a quick shift in focus, and or adjustment to vision. All of these problems usually resolve after childbirth. Still, close monitoring and systematic examination during pregnancy using the right technology by a specialist such as an opthalmologist like Aris Konstantopoulos from Aris Vision Correction clinic are essential.
But how can pregnancy and nursing affect vision?
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Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry eye syndrome is one of these changes. The eyes of women who were previously prone to dry eyes will notice an even faster increase. This will definitely make it difficult for those women who use contact lenses. For them, one tip would be to avoid drops that contain preservatives.
Blurred Vision
An even more common symptom of women's vision is blurred vision. With fluid retention, there is a change in the thickness and shape of a woman's cornea and crystalline lens. This is likely to lead to an increase in her myopia. This complication in her vision will logically return after the end of childbirth or after the end of breastfeeding. Until then, you can ask your ophthalmologist for a new prescription for your glasses.
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Adjust Vision
There may also be a loss of the ability to adjust vision, i.e. a woman's inability to focus and observe objects’ details at close range. But we are talking about a refractive error, which usually does not require any corrective surgery.
Preeclampsia
Some vision changes may indicate this severe condition for pregnant women. Note from the increased blood pressure. The symptoms of this eye condition are temporary loss of vision, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, the woman seeing auras or flashes. If you have any of these symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor immediately.
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Gestational diabetes
The high sugar levels associated with diabetes can damage the small blood vessels in the eye, the retina. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common condition affected by pregnancy. Gestational diabetes, which can also cause blurred vision, is a temporary form of diabetes. It most likely relapses after pregnancy. Suppose you already have diabetes, as your gynaecologist will recommend. In that case, you need close monitoring of your blood sugar levels and a discussion with your opthalmologist about the worsening of eye damage.
Pregnancy and myopia
As mentioned earlier, changes occur in the pregnant woman’s refraction; myopia increases, which returns to previous levels after pregnancy. Most women with moderate to high myopia are concerned if a normal birth will affect the fundus of the eye, causing damage, such as a crack/hole in the retina or detachment.
Refractive surgery (laser surgeries to correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism) during pregnancy and lactation should be strictly avoided. This is because the changes that occur in the cornea during the period of hormonal changes are not constant. With the completion of breastfeeding, the cornea returns to its original state, and therefore a possible operation is safe. In the event of such a procedure before pregnancy, there will be no problem.
In conclusion, any change in the eye or vision should be reported to your doctor so that he/she will judge and guide you whether further tests are needed or not.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.