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Dry eyes during pregnancy: Symptoms, causes, treatments

If the eyes do not produce enough tears or cannot maintain a healthy moisture layer, a person may have dry eye syndrome. People may experience dry eyes during pregnancy due to fluctuating hormone levels.

The overall rate of dry eyes is higher during pregnancy. Doctors do not fully understand what causes this phenomenon, but hormonal shifts may make it more difficult for the eyes to produce enough tears. Dry eyes in pregnancy can be uncomfortable, but several treatments can help.

This article discusses the symptoms and causes of dry eyes in pregnancy. It also explains the home remedies and medical treatments that people can use to manage this condition.

A note about sex and gender

Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms “male,” “female,” or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. Click here to learn more.

An individual may notice the following dry eye symptoms:

• eyes that feel dry, itchy, or uncomfortable
• feeling the need to blink frequently
• sensitivity to light
• watery eyes
• dried mucus or stringy fluid in the corners of the eyes
• red eyes
• trouble putting in or taking out contact lenses, in those who wear them
• changes in vision
• a sensation of the eyes feeling tired or droopy
• feeling as though something is in the eyes

Researchers do not yet fully understand why pregnant people commonly experience dry eyes, but several studies support this finding. For example, a 2019 study of 134 pregnant people in Nigeria found that dry eyes peaked in the third trimester, with the lowest rates at 6 weeks postpartum.

Females are more likely than males to have dry eyes, especially when hormonal changes occur, such as during pregnancy or menopause or when taking some forms of birth control.

Males have higher levels of hormones called androgens, which include testosterone. These hormones may protect them from dry eyes because they support tear production from the lacrimal glands. Although females also have these sex hormones, their levels are lower, which might explain why they have higher rates of dry eyes than males.

Androgens alone cannot explain dry eyes during pregnancy, as these hormones usually increase during pregnancy. For example, testosterone levels rise by about 70% during pregnancy.

However, the levels of estradiol — a hormone present in higher levels in most females — also increase with pregnancy. Estradiol may counteract the protective effects of androgens by suppressing genes that help with tear production. This action might explain why more people experience dry eyes as their pregnancy progresses.

Aside from hormone fluctuations, various other health conditions and lifestyle factors can cause dry eyes. People should, therefore, see a doctor for an evaluation. Other potential causes of dry eyes include:

• allergies
• vitamin A deficiency
• spending prolonged periods using computer or phone screens
• autoimmune diseases, such as lupus
• medications, such as antihistamines and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

People may find that skin issues such as rosacea and eczema cause dry eyes. These skin conditions may worsen during pregnancy and further compound the problem of hormone-associated dry eyes.

Some home remedies and lifestyle adjustments may help ease symptoms of dry eyes. People can try:

• drinking plenty of water to prevent dehydration
• using a humidifier to prevent the air from becoming too dry
• applying over-the-counter artificial tears
• taking a fatty acid supplement, such as fish oil or an omega-3 supplement
• wearing sunglasses outside to minimize sun damage to the eyes
• trying warm compresses or eyelid massage
• avoiding fans or heaters near the face, which can further dry the eyes

People should also avoid using potential irritants, such as certain lotions and creams, around the eyes. If an individual uses several products, they can try eliminating one product at a time and logging their symptoms. For example, a person might find that their eyes only become dry when using a specific brand of mascara.

Doctors must determine the cause of dry eyes before they can treat them. If someone has an underlying illness, such as an autoimmune disease, a doctor may refer them to a specialist while offering prescription eye drops or other treatments.

Medical treatment options include:

• Prescription drops: A doctor might prescribe prescription-strength artificial tears or eye drops to reduce inflammation.
• Tear plugs: A doctor can fit removable tear plugs into the tear ducts, which help the tears remain in the eyes for longer.
• Steroids: Steroids can help treat some types of eye inflammation. A doctor may recommend using steroid creams on the eyelids or trying steroid eye drops.
• Moisture goggles: Wearing moisture goggles at night can help keep the eyes lubricated. A doctor may recommend using the goggles alongside eye drops or ointments.
• Antibiotics: Some antibiotics have anti-inflammatory properties and may help relieve the symptoms of dry eyes. However, these treatments may not be suitable during pregnancy.
• Surgery: A doctor may recommend surgery if other treatments do not alleviate the symptoms. One option is to seal the tear ducts permanently, keeping tears in the eyes for longer. Another procedure, called tarsorrhaphy, sews parts of the upper and lower eyelids together to narrow the eye opening and reduce dryness. Skin grafts may also help.

For most people, dry eyes are a minor annoyance rather than a serious medical condition. People who notice dry eyes for the first time during pregnancy may find that their symptoms improve after delivery.

There is a lack of extensive research on how dry eyes may progress if someone does not treat the condition. For many people, dry eyes become a chronic condition that may improve or worsen at times. With home treatment, symptoms may improve. When they do not, a person may need more intensive medical care.

Pregnant people should talk with a doctor before trying home remedies, as some options may not be safe during pregnancy.

The hormone fluctuations that people experience during pregnancy can worsen dry eyes. Although seldom a serious condition, individuals may find dry eyes unpleasant and have difficulty with everyday tasks because of pain and irritation.

A range of treatments can help ease dry eye symptoms. However, pregnant people should exercise caution when using both prescription and over-the-counter medications for dry eyes. A doctor, optometrist, or ophthalmologist can advise pregnant individuals on which treatments are most suitable.

Read this article in Spanish.

Allergic rhinitis during pregnancy: description of the disease, causes, symptoms, cost of treatment in Moscow

Allergic rhinitis during pregnancy is not uncommon, as the woman's body begins to react more violently to any irritants due to the peculiarities of the hormonal background and some disturbances in the functioning of the nasal mucosa. Most often, before pregnancy, the woman did not have a negative reaction to substances that become irritants when carrying a child. The disease usually debuts abruptly and unexpectedly. Since the condition of a woman with such a phenomenon worsens, it is imperative that when rhinitis appears, it is necessary to seek medical help. It is strictly forbidden to treat the disease on your own due to the fact that serious harm to the fetus can be caused by errors in therapy. Any treatment should be coordinated with the gynecologist who is leading the pregnancy.

Rhinitis of an allergic nature during pregnancy is primarily due to hormonal changes and features of the immune system. In this case, an unpleasant phenomenon can occur both from the very first day after conception, and after a few months of gestation. According to medical statistics, every third woman suffers from such a disorder during pregnancy. In most cases, after childbirth, rhinitis goes away, and what was an allergen again begins to be normally tolerated by the body. If allergic rhinitis develops during pregnancy, treatment should be mandatory.

There is usually only one allergen during pregnancy. Intolerance to two or more substances, if it was not previously, is considered an exceptional phenomenon. The most harmless is an allergy to cold, in which rhinitis develops only on the street during the cold season and completely disappears indoors. This form of the disease is not so dangerous, as it is present sporadically and for a short time. With it, the risk of complications is extremely small, and it does not greatly disturb the general condition.

Major irritants

Doctors were able to determine which irritants most often provoke allergic rhinitis. This greatly helps in the treatment of the disease, as it simplifies the process of determining the allergen, the effect of which should be minimized as much as possible.

Allergic rhinitis develops at the moment when an irritant enters the mucous membrane. Due to its presence, inflammation of the mucosa occurs and, as a result, its swelling. The body, in order to get rid of the allergen, begins to secrete a large amount of especially liquid mucus, which should wash it out. Due to the fact that the allergen is constantly supplied with air, it cannot be removed naturally. As a result, it is impossible to solve the problem of allergic rhinitis without drugs.

The main allergens that can cause problems in pregnant women are:

• pollen of plants and their seeds - they are the cause of rhinitis in the warm season. With these irritants, health may remain unsatisfactory until the very end of the growing season of plants;

• smoke from cigarettes or wood - such irritants usually begin to cause damage to health if a woman lives in an area with unfavorable environmental conditions;

• Dust - it is not the dust itself that causes allergies, but the dust mites that live in it. Because of this, a negative reaction of the body also occurs when using down pillows and blankets, in which there are ideal conditions for the life of dust mites;

• air fresheners and deodorants - they contain a large number of aggressive chemical components that can cause allergies even in non-pregnant women, and when carrying a child, they almost always provoke a runny nose;

• animal hair and bird feathers - sometimes during pregnancy, an allergy to pets can develop, although there were no negative consequences from their stay in the house before. To solve the problem, the animal, which has become a source of irritants, must be isolated from the woman in another room until the birth of the child and minimize her contact with him.

Whatever the cause of the disease, it is necessary to carry out treatment with the involvement of a specialist. Self-medication during pregnancy is extremely dangerous and can lead to irreversible negative consequences.

Quite often, before an allergic rhinitis occurs, a woman has a simple catarrhal rhinitis. During pregnancy, it is this form of the disease that often becomes the impetus for the development of a pathological process, in which something will no longer be tolerated by the body.

At what time is the disease especially dangerous

Depending on how pregnant a woman is, allergic rhinitis poses a greater or lesser danger. The most serious problem is the problem that occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy. At this moment, all systems and organs of the unborn child are laid, and with a lack of oxygen in the blood, especially severe congenital malformations or intrauterine death of the fetus can occur. When a woman in the first trimester does not pay attention to her well-being and does not treat allergic rhinitis, the risk of miscarriage increases many times due to respiratory failure at night. If allergic rhinitis is present in pregnant women, only a doctor will determine how to treat it.

In the second and third trimester, the lack of oxygen in the mother's blood also does not benefit the child. However, due to the enlarged belly, a woman can only sleep on her side (otherwise she is uncomfortable), respiratory disorders are not so strong and threaten deformities to a lesser extent. At the same time, if you do not start treatment, the symptoms of rhinitis will increase and nasal congestion will constantly disturb. This is already dangerous for the child and can even cause premature birth against the background of general hypoxia of the mother and fetus.

Forecast

In the event that attention was paid to allergic rhinitis in pregnant women in a timely manner, the prognosis is positive. The violation can be effectively dealt with with the help of drugs allowed during this period, and then the risk of harm to the mother and fetus when an allergy appears will be eliminated. The doctor, if necessary, will adjust the treatment and will be able to build it so that there are no negative side effects of therapy.

If therapy is not started on time and severe fetal hypoxia is already present, then the prognosis is usually considered difficult, since this condition does not pass without a trace for the unborn child. Also, the prognosis will be unfavorable if the treatment was carried out on its own without the involvement of a specialist. In such a situation, there is a risk of serious consequences for the child, due to the fact that the mother used the wrong drugs.

Differences from colds

There are certain signs that even allow you to independently understand whether a cold or an allergic cause has a runny nose. The main distinguishing feature is that the snot in case of an allergic disorder is liquid, transparent, more like water. If the disease is cold, then the discharge becomes thick, green or yellow-green. They may also have a strong odor. In addition, with a cold, there is an increase in temperature, but not with an allergic one.

How to cure allergic rhinitis during pregnancy?

Allergic rhinitis develops as a specific response of the body to an allergen and is accompanied by swelling of the nasal mucosa, runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes. During pregnancy, the situation is aggravated by the fact that it is rather problematic to treat allergic rhinitis during this period. Let's try to figure out what are the causes of the disease and what methods of treatment should be chosen so as not to harm the health of the woman and the unborn child?

What is the danger?

An additional load on the immune system, hormonal imbalance increases the risk of such terrible complications for a woman as Quincke's edema or anaphylactic shock. There is also a danger to the unborn child. Prolonged nasal breathing difficulties experienced by the mother due to nasopharyngeal edema can cause fetal hypoxia and intrauterine growth retardation. In addition, discomfort, poor health of a woman negatively affects the condition of the child.

However, the greatest threat comes from improper treatment. Those drugs that have been successfully used before pregnancy can lead to impaired fetal development. Uncontrolled medication is especially dangerous in the first month of pregnancy, when the neural tube and other vital structures of the body are laid. Therefore, the treatment regimen for allergic rhinitis should be selected only by a doctor after a thorough examination of the woman.

Etiology

Allergic rhinitis is caused by the body's hypersensitivity to a provoking agent (allergen). The next contact with the latter triggers a chain of specific immune reactions with the release of substances that form inflammation in the nasal mucosa. Typical precipitating factors are:

• house dust microscopic mites;
• wool, down, pet excrement;
• moulds, especially during sporulation;
• some products;
• household chemicals, perfumery, certain medicines.

It should be noted that in pregnant women the content of estrogen, β-estradiol, growth hormone increases, which increase the reactivity of the immune system. Therefore, the intensity of seizures during gestation can increase significantly. However, a high concentration of estrogen disrupts vascular motility, causing vasomotor rhinitis during pregnancy. It develops in 20-30% of women and disappears after childbirth. Only a plasma test for the presence of class E immunoglobulins, which serve as markers of allergic reactions, can confirm or refute the allergic nature of the disease.

Symptoms

During an exacerbation of the disease, a woman is disturbed by difficulty in nasal breathing, runny nose, sneezing, itching in the nose and eyes, watery eyes, swelling of the eyelids. Allergic rhinitis in pregnant women is often accompanied by systemic manifestations of the disease:

• dizziness, weakness, hypotension;
• headache;
• sleep disorder;
• increased irritability.

Diagnosis

Examination is carried out by a general practitioner and an allergist-immunologist. When diagnosing, it is important to exclude a respiratory infection, vasomotor rhinitis, drug-induced rhinitis. For this purpose, blood and nasal mucus smears are tested for specific antibodies. For special indications, skin allergy tests are performed.

Treatment

Treatment of pregnant women with allergic rhinitis is aimed at eliminating the allergen and stopping the symptoms of the disease. In the first trimester, the main methods of therapy are nasal lavage with isotonic solutions and preventive measures aimed at limiting contact with the allergen (regular wet cleaning, airing, frequent bed linen changes, exclusion of potentially dangerous foods from the diet, isolation of pets).

Medicines

Drug therapy is used in severe cases, when the benefits of taking drugs significantly outweigh the risk of toxic effects on the fetus.

Nasal lavage

If the treatment of allergic rhinitis during pregnancy excludes the use of most drugs, the question arises - how to treat the disease? In such a situation, sanitation of the nasal cavities with saline solutions acquires an important therapeutic value.

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