Dry eyes during pregnancy

[emmalg]

Hi all,

This isn't specific to 3rd tri but seems a little mild to go on gestational complications forum.

Has anyone else experienced (severe) dry eyes during their current or past pregnancies? I know it can be related to pregnancies.

I have been having such bad trouble with dry eyes I can't actually open them when I wake. I thought it was sleeping with the AC on earlier in the summer but it is still going on.

If you've had it with a previous pregnancy, did it go away after birth?

It's driving me mad, but I don't want to waste time going to the ophthalmologist if it might be gone in a matter of weeks.

 

[Bluewings]

I didn't and don't have it quite that badly, but yes! I am a contacts user but at night for bed time I wear glasses. Sometimes I wear my contacts to sleep if I have an early morning appointment, but since third tri I haven't been able to do that. My previous pregnancy bettered my vision (oddly) but also left me wearing my glasses much throughout the day a times. I chalked it up to living in a very desert-prairie area but now on pregnancy #2 I see this is a normal symptom!

With all that said, yes it went away I did develop eye allergies after my first pregnancy though, so they have become a bit more tender when its a certain season (spring/summer).

Does this dryness affect your nose and ears as well? My entire head is pretty dry LOL. I tried sleeping with our ceiling fan off to help but that just makes things sweaty and stuffy to me, it's only just now cool enough to not pump the AC.

I use eye drops to help alleviate the dryness and I pay attention to what kind of eye make up I wear (and make sure to remove it before bed).

 

[emmalg]

Thanks for the reassurance! I've been sleeping with the window open now it is finally cool at night but it has still barely rained since the spring here so the air is still pretty dry which can't help.

I can't seem to get any eye drops here over the counter which has been annoying me. I might see if I can get my MIL to bring some over from England.

 

[Lucy529]

I was a contact wearer but for the past few weeks my dry eyes got way worse had to resort to only wearing glasses and using eye drops a couple of times a day they get irritated so bad I have to pull over if am driving

Good to know they get better after pregnancy

 

[Butterball Ma]

I've never had a problem with dry eyes, including previous pregnancies, until this time. But like you, some mornings my eyelids are so dry they scratch my eyes. I sleep with a bottle of eye drops next to my bed and use them every time I get up at night and then again in the morning. I have read that it's common in pregnancy, so I'm hoping it'll go away after baby's here.

Eta: I use saline eye wash, and it really helps.

 

[emmalg]

Thanks all! I'm so glad I'm not the only one!