‘Does pregnancy affect your eyes?’ This was the question I googled after noticing that my vision was full of floaters and that my prescription glasses just didn’t seem to be cutting it. Buuuut, complicating the situation was the fact that I’d turned 40 (aka, a time when your eyesight normally goes through some changes!). So, I put it to an optometrist: what the heck has happened to my eyesight? Is this the norm for your early 40s? Can I blame it on pregnancy hormones? Or is this the start of perimenopause joy?
When I was pregnant, the internet was very good at letting me know what might be in store for me (as well as some wonderful friends, who were a lot gentler with their delivery of the news). But still, there was plenty that surprised me.
There was one moment, when I looked out the window on a sunny day and suddenly realised, my view was getting obscured by approximately 4,328 new eye floaters (they’re those little specks like cobwebs that drift through your vision). I had no idea this was a pregnancy side effect and that now everywhere I look, I’m joined by new little friends. And, it didn’t stop there. I could swear that when I was reaching for my prescription glasses, they weren’t quite cutting it.
But then I had the baby and, yes, all my good intentions of checking in with an optometrist, oops, went out the window. I wanted to be one of those mums who looked after themselves, put their oxygen mask on first, but, in reality, there are so many goddam oxygen masks dropping in those first few months – and years – that it’s near impossible to stay on top of everything.
So, two years later, I finally made it there. And now, at 42 (I had my baby a few weeks after I turned 40), I’m know that my age means I must surely be knocking on perimenopause’s door.
I made the extra effort because I remember someone saying to me that your eyesight turns to crap at 40. And well, between a pregnancy and changing hormones in my 40s, they – whoever they were – certainly weren’t wrong.
First of all, I put to David Aldridge, an optometrist at Specsavers, as to whether pregnancy can affect our vision. Was that to blame for my sudden attack of eye floaters?
In short, yes. “Pregnancy definitely affects our vision, due to the role hormones play in the process,” he says. “Pregnant women may experience shifts in fluid balance and corneal thickness throughout their pregnancy, which affects the shape of the eye and vision, while increased blood volume and fluid retention can lead to changes in vision.”
Yes, you read that right – pregnancy hormones can actually affect the SHAPE of your eyeball. But, he says the good news is, most of those changes to our eyes, aren’t here to stay.
“These changes are often temporary, pregnant individuals may experience mild blurriness or difficulty focusing, which should be raised with your optometrist – and if you have any floaters hanging around too!”
After booking in for my appointment I discovered that apparently my floaters aren’t anything to worry about, buuuuuut one thing was for sure. In the three years since I had last had my eye sight tested, a lot had changed. It’s likely those little floater fellas are a result of pregnancy – but, the changes in my eyesight are more likely related to turning the big 4-0.
I have astigmatism – it’s a curvature of the eye, that causes blurred vision. Or, as my optometrist described it, your eye ball is supposed to be like the shape of a soccer ball, but astigmatism squishes it, like it’s turning it into a rugby ball. This is an appalling thing to think about – it gives me the same squeamish feeling as remembering when the Roy kid’s mum in Succession referred to eyes as “face eggs”.
I’ve had this astigmatism for a long time now, since I first picked up glasses in my twenties, but boy, my prescription had sure changed. I hadn’t quite realised by how much, until I had my new pair of glasses on. I had no idea that I was actually supposed to see so much?! I assumed this level of eyesight was really only reserved for superheroes.
Now, I’m kicking myself for not making an appointment earlier. Because, not only is it wonderful being able to actually see, but now those tension headaches I was getting every day have totally disappeared. Headaches can be pretty darn common when you have eye issues – and, it’s something that really affects Kiwis. A Specsaver’s survey this year found that one in four participants had to take time off work due to headaches caused by eye-strain, or general poor eye health.
I’m turning that around now with my two new pairs of glasses – one pair for every day use, and another polarised pair of prescription sunglasses (AMAZING for driving, and just being able to see in general when it’s sunny!). The optometrist also advised me that I should look at getting a third pair of specialised reading glasses – but was also happy with my plan to get used to this new pair and then add the third to the mix in a few months.
So, what was behind my changes? While pregnancy had altered things for me – those were more likely temporary changes, and really, it was more likely getting into my 40s that changed things. The pregnancy was likely the one to blame for those floaters, but the change in vision is likely my age.
David says it’s very, very typical to notice big changes around this time.
“Your eyes can change at any stage of your life, but most Kiwis notice a significant change in their 40s,” he says. “The most common condition for people over 40 is presbyopia, which impacts the flexible, crystalline lenses in the front of the eye and can affect your ability to focus. Fortunately, this condition has noticeable symptoms, which means it can be caught and treated early.”
And yes, one of the big drivers for changes during this time, is a fluctuation in hormones.
“Hormones can absolutely affect our eye health and how we see the world, due to hormones’ critical job of managing the health and function of various bodily systems, including the eyes,” he says. “Fluctuations in hormones are a common reason we might experience uncomfortable eye symptoms, like dry eyes, for example.”
“Changes in your body’s hormones levels,— especially estrogen, progesterone and testosterone — can lead to eye problems. Increasing estrogen during menstruation can impact the quality of the oily component of tears for women in a way that worsens dry eyes and increases the chance of having a backed-up oil gland, also known as a stye.”
Great, great, great. It’s all so glamorous after 40, isn’t it? But, thankfully David says there are ways we can support our eyes during this time – and actually, a lot of them are ways that will help our overall holistic health too.
“Using artificial tears or lubricating eye drops can assist with alleviating dry eyes,” says David. “Additionally, staying well-hydrated and maintaining a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may provide relief. However, in some extreme cases, Hormone Replacement Theory (HRT) may be prescribed by a doctor to manage your symptoms.”
NOTE: I was kindly gifted my two new pairs of glasses from Specsavers. All opinions are my own!
