Did you know that Oestrogen is believed to be the hormone responsible for alteration in the eye? Interesting right, it can actually cause the cornea of the eye to become more elastic and change the way light enters the eye, more common during a child’s adolescence when there are sudden increases in Oestrogen.
This got us thinking...if the hormone imbalance is responsible for the fluctuation of eyesight during puberty, then how does the hormone imbalance affect the eyes during pregnancy. During the 9-month time period, a woman's body goes through a wide variety of changes and adaptions to cater for the baby in their womb. It's during the third trimester to three months postpartum that women begin experiencing vision difficulties e.g. blurry vision, dry eyes.
The most common effect pregnancy has on your eyes is dry eyes. Pregnancy hormones decrease tear production and therefore, due to lack of sufficient lubrication, eyes become dry, this, therefore, can lead to irritation of the eyes so constant scratching causes inflammation and a reddish appearance to the skin.
The most dangerous effect is increased eye pressure. The hormones released in pregnancy increase blood flow causing fluid to build up in your eye- same as your ankles and feet may swell up. This fluid can lead to a significant increase in the pressure within the eye socket itself, and therefore, lead to curvature of the eye. This curvature causes vision to become canted and at points faded, which can develop into poorer peripheral vision. In addition, this build-up of pressure increases the sensitivity of the nerve endings and thus, the sensitivity of the eye as a whole increases tenfold. For the contact wearers out there, be careful, it’s been said that during this time period contact lenses can be extremely hard to tolerate.
How can Eye Lounge help?
Well, you’re in luck and in good hands. We have a collection of medically Renaud treatments, but we would recommend “Clinitas Hydrate”. This carbomer eye gel drop is used throughout the world to relieve any/all dry eye irritations, it works by lubricating the surface of the eye counteracting lower tear levels and therefore, overall enhancing comfort. Suitable for both contact lens wearers and non-contact lens wearers, it’s the ideal solution for dry eyes in general, not just during pregnancy.