Expert explains how pregnancy can affect your eyes

When you consider all the changes your body undergoes during pregnancy, you probably didn't give much thought to your eyes.

Many things change in your body during pregnancy, including your water content and hormones, and these can in turn affect your eyes.

Nimmi Mistry, professional service optician at Vision Direct, explains how pregnancy can affect the health of your eyes.

Tired eyes

During pregnancy, you may find that your eyes feel tired and heavy.

"Whether this is due to less sleep, or other factors, it's not uncommon for pregnant women to experience fatigued eyes," the expert says.

Dry eyes

Dry eyes are another symptom that can occur during pregnancy as a result of hormonal changes.

"Hormonal fluctuations can cause a reduction in tear production, leading to dry eyes. This can result in discomfort, irritation, or a gritty sensation," the optometrist states.

Refractive changes

Your vision could potentially get better or worse - but this is temporary.

"Pregnancy can also temporarily cause an improvement or decline in refractive errors such as near-sightedness, far-sightedness, or astigmatism, so your existing prescription glasses may not correct your vision as previously anticipated," Nimmi explains.

Contact lens discomfort

If you wear contact lenses, you may find that they become uncomfortable to wear during your pregnancy due to "the change in tear production and/or corneal curvature".

However, the expert insists that these symptoms are common and are likely to disappear after pregnancy.

"During pregnancy, it is common to experience any of the above symptoms; some being more apparent than others at different stages of the pregnancy," she says. "However, these symptoms most likely resolve post-pregnancy. Additionally, tired and dry eyes can be remedied with hydrating eye drops, also known as artificial tears."

If symptoms persist, you should see a doctor.