Vision Direct, Europe's largest online retailer of contact lenses, has released an infographic explaining why vision change can happen throughout pregnancy.
After running a thread including 261 women on Mumsnet, asking women about their experiences with vision during pregnancy, the results were many experienced dry eyes and some women even had a change in prescription.
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30% of women in the thread had no vision problems but 25% experienced a change in their prescription. 19% of women complained about dry eyes and 8% even had blurred or distorted vision.
What causes these vision changes? Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy have a big impact on vision. This is because hormones can affect fluid retention in your eyes. The extra fluid in the eyes alters the thickness of the cornea, which makes vision appear blurred or distorted. These hormones also affect the rest of a woman's body, with fluid retention causing swelling in the legs and ankles.
According to Vision Direct's Head Optician, Brendan O'Brien, it is common for women to experience a slight change in prescription. According to O'Brien, most women should expect their vision to return to normal after delivery. If you encounter any vision problems during pregnancy, always speak to your physician. They will be able to tell you if your symptoms are normal or if they are an indicator of a more serious condition.
Tagged in Pregnancy Women's Health eye health Pregnancy Health