Can vision deteriorate during pregnancy? Did your vision decrease during pregnancy? See a doctor immediately.

A pregnant woman's body undergoes significant changes, which can also affect her vision. Gynecologists recommend observation by an ophthalmologist from 10 to 14 weeks, and later from 34 to 36 weeks. The specialist will monitor the condition of the fundus and retina, regularly check eye pressure, determine the degree pathological changes eye condition.

A pregnant woman's vision can deteriorate by several diopters. In addition, there may be swelling of the eyelids, photophobia, a feeling of dryness and presence foreign body, redness of the eyes and even inflammation. In critical cases, for example, with retinal dystrophy, a planned caesarean section may be prescribed. With this diagnosis, the pregnant woman sees “floaters” or “lightning” before her eyes, objects appear double and her vision is very blurry. During contractions, and then pushing during childbirth, which takes place naturally, possible sharp changes pressure inside the eyes. This is fraught with retinal detachment, critical violations in the day visual organ and even complete loss of vision.

If you find a sharp decline visual acuity, or, for example, if you see everything on the left, but not on the right, contact a specialist immediately.

In any case, only the doctor makes a decision about how the birth will take place. It will be based on data about your age, general condition of the body, degree of visual impairment, condition of the retina, etc.

Causes of vision problems

Deterioration of vision during pregnancy has several possible causes:

Increased elasticity of connective tissues in the eyes.
Myopia.
Sudden changes in intraocular pressure.
Pregnancy, complicated iron deficiency anemia, preeclampsia or hypertension. Such complications, as a rule, provoke excessive load on the cardiovascular system. The vessels in the retina become narrow, and the blood supply deteriorates. With high blood pressure, there is a risk of bleeding in the retina and, as a result, its detachment.
Violation hormonal levels in the body of a pregnant woman. Increased level hormones (progesterone, estrogen) affects protein coat visual organ. Vision may deteriorate by 0.5-1.5 diopters, and tear production may decrease.

Will the discomfort go away after childbirth?

Poor vision during pregnancy, as well as discomfort (fatigue, inflammation and dry eyes), usually disappear after childbirth. If the pregnancy proceeded without pathologies, then such discomfort is temporary. After childbirth hormonal balance will be restored and vision will return to normal.

Prevention

In order to avoid a situation where vision decreases during pregnancy, you must follow a few simple rules:

To preserve your vision while waiting for your baby, do not give in stressful situations and stay positive.
Take frequent walks in the fresh air.
Eat right and include foods that are good for your vision in your diet. Do not use products with high content salt, observe drinking regime. Don't drink alcohol.
and try not to be near people who smoke.
Maintain visual mode. Limit the time spent at the computer and watching TV to 2 hours a day. Take a break every 30-40 minutes. If necessary, use special glasses with a special coating on the surface of the lens or with a special lens structure that reduces the load on the eye muscles.
Don't read while lying down.
Do special exercises for your eyes, for example, look at objects in the distance and then close up. Rotating your eyes helps different sides, and then along a circular line. Do this visual gymnastics alternately with open and with eyes closed. Self-massage with fingers is effective eyeball. Don't press too hard on your closed eyes. It is enough to devote 5 to 10 minutes to exercise a couple of times a day to strengthen eye muscles and improve blood circulation. This will also help limit the progression of myopia.
To relieve fatigue and tension from the eyes, use various compresses.
To prevent an increase in intraocular pressure, do not lift heavy objects or make too sudden movements.
All necessary medications To improve vision, take after prior consultation with an ophthalmologist.
If you used contact lenses before pregnancy, you should, if possible, replace them with glasses before giving birth.
If you are diagnosed with retinal dystrophy, if there are critical changes or tears before 35-36 weeks of pregnancy, an ophthalmologist may recommend laser coagulation for preventive purposes. This will strengthen the retina and prevent it from peeling or stretching. After this procedure, natural childbirth will be possible.
Myopia does not require special treatment. As a rule, it is not a contraindication to natural childbirth if there are no changes in the fundus.

Your vision during such a crucial period requires special attention and taking action when necessary. If your vision has decreased during pregnancy, just visit an ophthalmologist in a timely manner, be attentive to yourself, and everything will pass without complications.

Structure of the eye

The eye has a complex structure. The eyeball has an almost regular spherical shape. Its wall consists of three shells. The outer one - the sclera - consists of dense connective tissue white. The sclera passes at the front of the eyeball into transparent cornea, which has the shape of a convex lens. The middle layer is choroid and includes the vessels of the eye. The anterior part of the choroid - the iris - contains the pigment that determines the color of the eyes. In the center of the cornea there is a hole - the pupil, which narrows in bright light and expands in the dark, thereby regulating the intensity of the light flux entering the eye to the retina. Behind the iris is the lens, the main lens of the eye. The space between the cornea, iris and lens is filled with intraocular fluid. The cavity of the eyeball behind the lens is filled with a transparent jelly-like mass - the vitreous body, which contains neither nerves nor blood vessels. The cornea, lens, and vitreous body make up the optical (refractive, focusing) medium of the eye, which provides clear vision of objects located at different distances. The retina is the inner layer of the eye. It consists of photoreceptors (rods and cones) - nerve endings that perceive light and color stimuli. Further on nerve fibers As part of the optic nerves, information goes to the brain, where it is processed - a person sees. Due to the high functional load, the retina is one of the most vulnerable places of the eye. Eyes, optic nerves and the visual centers of the cerebral cortex make up visual analyzer, providing a person with the function of vision.

What is myopia?

The most common visual impairment, in which the objects in question are clearly visible only at a close distance, is myopia. With myopia, the eyeball lengthens, as a result of which the image is focused not on the retina, but in front of it, and on the retina it appears blurry and unfocused. Occasionally, refractive myopia occurs, which is caused not by the increased length of the eyeball, but by the excessive refractive power of the cornea.

The progression (increase in degree) of myopia is based on a decrease in the mechanical properties of the sclera (the outer white membrane of the eye) and stretching of the eyeball under the influence of intraocular pressure. The development and progression of myopia is facilitated by prolonged visual work at close range, poor lighting of the workplace, incorrect posture when working, reading, small illegible font, i.e. those reasons that force you to bring the text too close to your eyes. Due to the fact that during pregnancy there is an increase in the ability of connective tissue to stretch, women suffering from myopia may experience its progression due to a slight stretching of the eyeball.

There are three degrees of myopia: weak - up to -3 diopters, medium - from -3 to -6 diopters and high - more than -6 diopters.

The eyes, like other organs, undergo a number of changes during pregnancy. A third circle of blood circulation is formed in a woman’s body - the uteroplacental, and blood pressure may change. Under the influence of pregnancy hormones, increased estrogen levels and their effect on connective tissue, a slight elongation of the eyeball occurs, a change vitreous, dryness of the cornea occurs, a change in intraocular pressure occurs, which can lead to deterioration of vision, the appearance of spots in the eyes, and difficulty wearing contact lenses.

One of the most sensitive structures to changes is the retina. Her condition is assessed by examining the fundus through a dilated pupil - ophthalmoscopy. Only with such an examination can an ophthalmologist evaluate not only the central region, but also the peripheral parts of the retina of the eye. In some cases, changes in the retina help in diagnosing other diseases or pathological conditions during pregnancy, for example arterial hypertension(increase blood pressure), gestosis (pathological changes associated with the development of pregnancy), nephritis (inflammation of the kidney tissue), etc. By studying the vessels of the retina, the doctor can accurately judge the changes occurring in the vessels of other organs, including the vessels of the placenta. For myopia high degree, concomitant diseases (hypertension, kidney diseases, thyroid gland, at diabetes mellitus) the retina undergoes a number of unfavorable changes. Due to changes occurring in the eyeball and blood vessels, areas of thinning, dissection, areas of retinal malnutrition (dystrophy), and hemorrhages in the retina occur. Very often, these changes are not felt subjectively and can only be detected by examining the fundus of the eye by a specialist. That is why, even in the absence of complaints and good visual acuity, each future mom should visit an ophthalmologist at least 2 times during pregnancy: in the first and third trimester. Pregnant women with vision problems should be observed by an ophthalmologist throughout pregnancy. For previously performed (before pregnancy) surgical interventions on the eyes, consultation with an ophthalmologist is also required.

Modern ophthalmological operations that correct visual acuity usually affect the anterior segment of the eye; As a result of applying laser incisions or laser evaporation of the layers of the cornea, the refractive power of light rays changes and the image is focused on the retina. That is, such operations do not affect the retina. For pathological changes in the retina, laser electrophotocoagulation is currently used. With her help weak spots the retinas are, as it were, “welded”, fixed, preventing retinal detachment or its progression. This is both preventive and therapeutic effect of this method.

The fact is that in places of thinning, vascular changes, and hemorrhages, retinal detachment can occur - the most dangerous complication that threatens a person with blindness. It is in order to avoid retinal detachment in case of pronounced changes in the fundus of the eye that it is strongly recommended to avoid pushing during labor and to perform surgical delivery. When pushing, especially if a woman pushes incorrectly - “to the head” and not “to the bottom”, the likelihood of rupture of small vessels, hemorrhages and retinal detachment increases, especially in places of overextension and degenerative foci. Retinal detachment in the peripheral parts leads to the appearance of a dark curtain, significantly narrowing the field of vision. Retinal damage and detachment in central department leads to complete blindness. In such cases it is necessary emergency surgery. With surgery and laser photocoagulation within 7-10 days, the remaining viable areas of the retina can be restored and vision will return. Increased (progression) myopia, as well as pathological changes in the retina can be caused by severe gestosis - complications of pregnancy, in which all the vessels of the body suffer, and changes in the blood coagulation system occur.

If necessary, the woman undergoes a procedure laser coagulation, which can be performed up to the 30th week of pregnancy.

A timely procedure allows you to avoid caesarean section even with existing changes in the fundus. The issue of delivery in cases of laser photocoagulation surgery performed before or during pregnancy is decided individually and depends on the condition of the fundus. With stabilization and no signs of progression of the pathological process of the retina, in the absence of new changes in the fundus, vaginal delivery may be allowed birth canal. Otherwise, to avoid adverse influence on the retina and its vessels due to heavy physical stress during childbirth, it is safer to resort to a cesarean section.

Another common and used operation for myopia, scleroplasty, prevents further progression of myopia. This operation is usually performed when vision is rapidly declining. With scleroplasty, the sclera is strengthened (for this, one’s own fibromuscular flaps and special synthetic materials applied to the back wall eyeball, which prevents its further stretching and progression of myopia). As a result of the fact that during pregnancy there is a change in connective tissue, including the tissue of the eyeball, after scleroplasty surgery, doctors recommend not planning a pregnancy for a year. This type of surgery is not usually performed during pregnancy.

The progression of myopia may also be due to the development of late gestosis of pregnancy.

Thus, ophthalmologists recommend delivery by cesarean section for severe, progressive changes in the fundus, such as hemorrhages, after retinal detachment. This is done to avoid provoking further detachment and the threat of blindness, with myopia rapidly progressing during pregnancy, severe myopic changes in both eyes - that is, in the presence of such pathological processes, in which physical activity during childbirth threatens the development of serious complications from the organ of vision.

Currently, only 10% of pregnant women with vision problems cannot give birth themselves. It has been proven that a normal pregnancy in most cases does not have an adverse effect on the myopic process. However, an examination of the fundus, as well as consultation with an ophthalmologist, are necessary for all expectant mothers and are advisable even at the stage of pregnancy planning. Women who had vision problems before pregnancy should be observed by an ophthalmologist during the entire period of expecting a child. The final decision on the possibility of natural childbirth or the need for surgical delivery is made by an obstetrician-gynecologist based on the presence or absence of a woman in labor. obstetric indications and related diseases.

Pregnancy – stressful state for the woman's body. Toxicosis in the first trimester, general fatigue, swelling and other symptoms are common. But pregnant women are surprised to learn that vision and pregnancy are also related. In some cases, the mother's eyes suffer when carrying a child. What are the reasons for the situation, why vision decreases during pregnancy, how to avoid worsening the situation - read the article.

Why does vision decrease during pregnancy?

Vision and pregnancy are intertwined in several planes simultaneously:

Consumption by the fetus of part of the beneficial and nutrients that a woman eats.
Changes in the shape and quality of the cornea due to general swelling of the body and fluid retention.
Increased intraocular pressure. Characteristic of labor and childbirth.
Concomitant pathologies affecting the quality and visual acuity of the mother.

Let's consider why vision decreases during pregnancy read more. It is normal for vision to decrease during pregnancy temporarily and relatively unnoticed. Women suffering from myopia or farsightedness notice a deterioration in visual acuity. The pressure rises, the eye vessels experience greater tension. There may be discomfort and a “veil in the eyes.”

During pregnancy, fluid is excreted from the mother's body worse than in its natural state. The cornea fills with water, changing its shape. This prevents the lens from correctly perceiving the external picture of the world and transmitting it to the brain. Impaired visual acuity in complete healthy woman means problems with fluid circulation in the body.

Concomitant diseases catalyze the processes of vision deterioration. The eyes become a symptom of eclampsia - a complex disease of late toxicosis, in which the level of blood pressure threatens the life and health of both the mother and the fetus. Previous diabetes and other diseases provoke deterioration general condition eyes and cause a decrease in visual acuity.

IN exceptional cases ophthalmologist prohibits natural childbirth, avoiding unnecessary increase in intraocular pressure. In 90% of cases, women suffering from vision problems successfully undergo natural childbirth.

How to avoid vision deterioration

A few tips will ensure good vision during pregnancy and breastfeeding:

Visit a doctor. In addition to routine checkups and visits to your doctor, let your doctor know about your concerns. If you have lost your visual acuity during pregnancy, do not put off visiting your doctor’s office.
Consume more useful substances. The mother needs to ensure a balanced diet - this guarantees the health of the fetus and the body of the pregnant woman.
Avoid serious physical activity and discomfort. Doctors do not prohibit light walks, pool lessons or moderate fitness activities for pregnant women. But in case of vision problems, if you feel discomfort, it is better to stop exercising.
Don't strain your eyes. All systems of a woman’s body are under stress. Do not create additional complications for your health.

However, you may be surprised, but you may also begin to see worse. Physical and hormonal changes during pregnancy can affect your vision. Fortunately, most of these problems are usually temporary and minor, and you should be able to see normally again within a few weeks of giving birth. However, blurry vision can sometimes be a symptom of certain complications, such as diabetes and preeclampsia, that require medical attention.

Possible reasons

Exist various reasons visual impairment during pregnancy, including:

Deterioration of vision during pregnancy is not a disease, but is a symptom of changes in the structure of the eyeball that occurs during pregnancy. Blurred vision may also be accompanied by the following symptoms:

When should you visit your doctor?

As discussed, in some cases, symptoms of blurred vision during pregnancy may indicate more serious medical conditions such as preeclampsia, hypertension, or diabetes. Therefore, if you notice spots, flashes of light, floaters, darkening or any other symptoms serious illnesses mentioned above, you should consult a doctor immediately.

Ways to manage state

If you have minor vision problems, your doctor may not prescribe any treatment. However, you can take action next steps to reduce discomfort:

Use eye drops that are safe during pregnancy: If you have dry eyes, you can use drops that moisturize the surface of the eye, also called “artificial tears.” They are affordable, safe and available without a prescription. However, you should check with your doctor to see if you can use them. You can also ask your doctor to recommend a few types of drops that are safe for your situation.
Don't wear contact lenses : During pregnancy, the shape and thickness of the lens and cornea changes, and the use of contact lenses will worsen the problem. Therefore, if you wore them before pregnancy, switch to glasses. You will be able to return to contact lenses approximately three to six months after your baby is born.
Give your eyes adequate rest: Pregnancy is a stressful and tiring time for women. Therefore, you must ensure that your eyes and body are completely rested throughout the entire period. Do not look at the screen of your computer, laptop, phone, tablet, etc. long time. Adequate sleep is also necessary as it also helps reduce stress and strain in the eyes and prevent deterioration of vision.
Don't have surgery laser correction . Most eye experts recommend not having LASIK (laser assisted keratomileusis) surgery for 6 months before conception, during pregnancy, and 6 months after weaning if you are breastfeeding. Surgery may result in overcorrection, which may require another one in the future.

If vision changes are caused by severe underlying medical condition, you need to go necessary treatment recommended by a doctor. Therefore, you should tell your doctor about problems during pregnancy.

Other eye problems

The functioning of the lacrimal gland cells may be impaired due to pregnancy. This results in decreased tear production and dry eye symptoms. There may also be a decrease in intraocular pressure, an effect that is more common in women with ocular hypertension. Hormonal changes may also lead to drooping eyelids (ptosis).

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The senior resident answers our mothers' questions ophthalmology department main clinical hospital Baltic Fleet Marina KOROBOVA. (Kaliningrad)

Should every woman be examined by an ophthalmologist during pregnancy? Why? Is a one-time visit to the doctor enough or should the vision test (if no pathologies were found during the first visit) be repeated in the last trimester, before giving birth?

Consultations with an ophthalmologist are necessary for all expectant mothers. Even women with normal vision It is necessary to consult an ophthalmologist twice: at the very beginning of pregnancy and immediately before childbirth. This is very important, since if there are vision problems, the final decision will depend on the general condition and course of the pregnancy as a whole. The results of the studies indicate that both during physiological pregnancy and during its complicated course, along with the restructuring of the central and cerebral circulation Significant changes in the hemodynamics of the eye occur. For example, during pregnancy with myopia, the blood supply to the eye decreases, intraocular pressure, which is associated with a decrease in blood circulation in the ciliary body; with the help of the latter, hydrodynamic parameters are regulated. In addition, at the end of pregnancy the baby takes its final position, which largely determines the complexity of childbirth.

- What does an eye exam involve by an ophthalmologist during pregnancy?

Refraction is determined, the condition of the fundus is assessed; If necessary, women undergo perimetry, intraocular pressure is measured, and the extreme periphery of the fundus is examined with a goniolens.

- Why does an ophthalmologist assess the condition of the fundus?

The most important thing during such a check is to assess the condition of the fundus of the eye, since it is the picture of the fundus of the eye that can signal the approach of danger - the occurrence of toxicosis of pregnancy, because changes in the fundus of the eye often appear with toxicosis earlier than other symptoms. Also, the patient’s allocation to the group will depend on the condition of the fundus high risk development of ophthalmological complications.

- Is it possible for vision to deteriorate while carrying a baby? What is this connected with?

It happens that during pregnancy something happens to the eyes. Toxicosis and other complications of pregnancy can affect the state of vision. After all, hormonal changes occur in the body, which affects everyone differently. And the eyes are one of the organs that experience its influence. Sometimes it may seem that your vision has deteriorated since the beginning of pregnancy. Pregnant women are sometimes too suspicious (which is understandable), so their confidence in a possible deterioration of vision often turns out to be unfounded. However, such fears may still have a basis in reality. During diagnosis, ophthalmologists examine not only the degree of refraction, but also the condition of the retina. Isn't there any degenerative changes, tears? The task is to maintain the retina in good condition, to ensure that there are no hemorrhages or ruptures. Vascular changes very often cause the effect of “floaters before the eyes”. These things are not always dangerous, but it is certainly worth bringing them to the attention of a doctor. Sometimes this may also indicate retinal pathology. So it’s best to get examined once again and make sure that nothing bad is happening to you.

- Are there any preventive measures?

If new degenerative lesions are detected on the periphery of the fundus, during uncomplicated pregnancy, laser coagulation of the retina is possible. Preventive laser coagulation is carried out when dystrophic changes retina to prevent retinal detachment. This procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, within a few minutes. Laser ray strengthens the retina, protecting it from stretching and detachment. A simple procedure to strengthen the retina done in a timely manner may well save you from the need for a caesarean section.

- What would you advise expectant mothers: wear glasses or use contacts?

Women who wear contact lenses sometimes complain that they feel uncomfortable during pregnancy. This, again, is related to hormonal changes body and with the eyes as well. Try wearing glasses and then return to contact lenses after giving birth. - Is the combination of lenses and sunglasses harmful to the eyes? Any eyes, whether they have lenses or glasses, need good protection from UV rays, therefore, on the contrary, people with vision pathologies can only be advised to choose high-quality sunglasses

Can a woman give birth to a child herself if she had eye surgery a year before the expected date of birth?

Currently, the issue of spontaneous childbirth in patients who have undergone ophthalmic surgery is debatable. First of all, everything will depend on the condition of the fundus. Much attention is paid to women who have undergone refractive surgery - keratotomy, LA3IK, photorefractive keratectomy. The decision on labor management tactics depends on the statute of limitations surgical intervention, degree of myopia before surgery, changes in the fundus, age of the woman. Also great importance has - primary birth or repeat birth. In some cases, a consultation with an obstetrician-gynecologist is necessary to determine the expected weight of the fetus and its correspondence to the anatomical dimensions of the woman’s pelvis.

- Is natural childbirth possible with myopia? What is their danger?

With uncomplicated myopia of all degrees it is possible natural course childbirth; in some cases with shortening of attempts. To avoid this dangerous complication, such as retinal detachment, there are contraindications to natural childbirth:
- complicated rapidly progressive high myopia of more than 1.0 -1.5 diopters per year,
- high myopia in one eye,
- combination of high myopia with other extragenital pathology or obstetric pathology,
- detection of pathological changes in the fundus during pregnancy (swelling of the optic nerve, hemorrhages in the retina, retinal detachment, retinal dystrophy).

- What degree of myopia is a clear indication for cesarean section?

The condition of the retina is not always related to the degree of myopia. Often, with a high degree of myopia, the retina remains consistently satisfactory, there are no pre-tears on it, and there are no progressive degenerative changes. It also happens the other way around, when with mild myopia, not exceeding 1-3 units, dystrophic foci are observed in the fundus. Therefore, if you are planning a pregnancy or are already pregnant, you must undergo an examination by an ophthalmologist with an examination of the fundus. Remember that a simple retinal strengthening procedure done in time may well save you from the need for a caesarean section.

- What is the peculiarity of the pushing period in women undergoing natural childbirth with myopia?

During pushing, a woman experiences a very heavy load, and some try to push not with the abdominal muscles, but with whatever they have to - as a result, small blood vessels in the eyes burst, and sometimes retinal detachment occurs, therefore, in case of dystrophic changes in the retina, it is recommended to exclude the period of pushing, so as not to provoke such a complication.