Eyesight, Contact Lenses & Pregnancy


PregnancyChanges to the corneal shape of the eye are common among pregnant women, though often overlooked by physicians. Decreased visual acuity is frequently reported during pregnancy, causing inconvenience, discomfort and potentially a change in the optical power of corrective eyewear. Here is some information for the pregnant woman with concerns about her eyesight.


Why Does Your Vision Change?

Irregularities in blood pressure are a natural manifestation of a body in change, as is an increase in BMI, hormone level spikes, and swelling feet.

High blood pressure is considered potentially dangerous for both mother and fetus, especially if the condition is pre-existing or chronic. High blood pressure and high protein levels in the urine may be an indication of Pre-eclampsia condition. Routine checks of blood pressure are therefore common during pregnancy. 

Mothers with normal blood pressure, however, may still experience irregularity in blood pressure levels and, as a consequence, fluctuations in all bodily fluid pressures. This is not necessarily harmful to either mother or fetus, but may result in an alteration to the corneal shape of the eye, specifically its thickness. A common ramification is a change in vision and discomfort for the contact lens wearer.


Correcting Pregnancy Related Vision Impairment

For mothers who use glasses or contact lenses, irregularities in blood and body fluid pressure can cause some discomfort and blurred vision. As the cornea of the eyes thickens, refractive changes could occur. This renders current corrective eyewear useless.

It is therefore recommended to schedule two eye examinations in connection to pregnancy: One during the sixth month to re-evaluate visual acuity, and the other postnatal, to determine if the corneal shape has returned to its postnatal shape.

There is a risk that the corneal shape will not subside. However, this does not imply that the eyes will have a different shape, visually. It is visual acuity that will change and require a re-evaluation and new corrective eyewear including new contact lenses. 

Contributed by Lens Shopper

29th June 2009

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