Pregnancy is a unique time when many different processes take place in the future mother’s body. The body reacts differently to hormonal swings. In addition to visible changes in mood, appearance and body proportions, and often also the body’s resistance, there are also changes related to changes in the composition and amount of tears. Many pregnant women struggle with this unpleasant and troublesome problem. It is not dangerous to health, but it certainly causes a lot of discomfort.
The primary cause of dry eye syndrome during pregnancy is, of course, hormones, more specifically androgens:
- It is because of them that the production of the lipid layer that protects the tear film against excessive evaporation decreases. In pregnant women, this causes clogging of the sebaceous glands in the eyelids, which further increases the perception of symptoms.
- In addition, they reduce the production of tears, the function of which is to nourish the cornea and conjunctiva of the eye.
Symptoms are exacerbated in people using the computer for a long period of time, while watching TV and reading books, so during all processes that can strain the eyesight. Dry eye syndrome most often appears at the end of the first trimester. It usually disappears after some time, but there are cases when it lasts not only throughout pregnancy, but also during breastfeeding. In these types of situations, dry eye syndrome disappears a few months after delivery or cessation of breastfeeding, so it is a self-limiting symptom.
The basic symptoms of a change in the composition of tears are:
- Blur image,
- Pinching, burning, eye pain,
- discomfort,
- excessive tearing,
- Feeling of heavy eyelids,
- Reddened, burning conjunctiva,
- Feeling of a foreign body or sand under the eyelids (as if something has fallen into the eye),
- itchy eyes,
- Photophobia, hypersensitivity to sunlight and artificial light,
How to alleviate the symptoms of dry eye syndrome?
Treatment usually involves the use of eye lubricants, often called “artificial tears”. There are many moisturizing drops in pharmacies, but you should pay attention to their composition. It is worth choosing those that do not contain preservatives, and also have a convenient, functional packaging that allows you to use them several times a day, in various circumstances. For people who have problems with instillation, some companies offer preparations in the form of a spray for use on closed eyelids.
In addition to using drops, it is worth following a few rules:
- Reduce the amount of time you spend at the computer up to a maximum of 4 hours a day,
- Avoid smoky, air-conditioned and heated places,
- Make sure to humidify the air in the roomswhere you are staying,
- Apply warm compresses to the eyelids, gently massage them, and close your eyes for a moment.