What You Should Know About Pregnancy and Eye Care

February 2, 2011
Pregnancy is an exciting time for women. We notice our body undergoing several changes. Hormonal fluctuations affect all parts of our body, including our eyes. Most women that come to my office do not experience any visual changes during their pregnancy. Of the small percentage of patients that do, most complain about dry eyes. Their chief complaint is decreased comfort when wearing contact lenses. My recommendation is to lubricate with eye drops more frequently and, if that doesn’t help, to wear glasses instead. During pregnancy, the cornea can thicken due to fluid buildup and causes changes in focusing ability. Those who are farsighted become less farsighted, and those who are nearsighted become more nearsighted. This is a rare condition, however, I always stress to my patients that this condition is not always permanent. Vision typically will return to normal after delivery or at the end of nursing, so there may not be an immediate need to change the prescription of the contact lenses or glasses.... unless, of course, the patient does not feel comfortable functioning with the current prescription.