Many women must have experience postpartum bloodshot eyes where the eyes may appear red and swollen and may sometimes also feel itchy and sore. There may be dark circles or bags under the eyes after delivery, in addition to appearing red. Strain and fatigue after delivery may result in postpartum bloodshot eyes.
Before and after a difficult labor, your stress levels tend to be very high and you may not have had very restful sleep. The primary factors that lead to postpartum bloodshot eyes. In addition, during the second stage of labor, a lot of physical strain is exerted while trying to push the baby.
Important Facts About Bloodshot Eyes Postpartum
The blood vessels will heal on their own and the blood will be absorbed back into the body.
Within a week or two after giving birth, your eyes will show no signs of pushing.
Causes :-
Due to the hormonal changes in the internal system, the mother may experience problems of blurry vision or dizziness. Some of the effective causes of the vision change may include:
Blurred Vision
After the childbirth, the fluid retention capacity of the eye ducts is extremely hampered. As a result, the cornea cannot sustain its normal shape, and the vision may get blurred or highly distorted.
Preeclampsia
Women suffering from high blood pressure issues may encounter the disease of Preeclampsia. In such cases, the mother may suffer from vision problems including light sensitivity or blurry vision. It is highly recommended to consult your gynecologist and take requisite medications for effective treatment.
Gestational Diabetes
The percentage of blood sugar level may fluctuate during and after the pregnancy phase. Such changes of blood sugar level may harshly damage the small blood vessels attached to the eye retina. Thus, a temporary form of diabetes known as gestational diabetes occurs in this phase of gestation, and this can often hamper the eyesight, and the mother may suffer from blurry vision.
Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
Sometimes women do stress out in their pregnancy phase and suffer from the problems of hypertension after their childbirth. Such problem is known as Pregnancy Induced Hypertension or PIH in medical terms and can often lead to abnormal vision changes.
Pituitary Adenoma
Mothers rarely encounter the problem of Pituitary adenoma. But in some rare cases, a tumor growth occurs in the pituitary gland of the women’s body. They inhibit the normal functioning of the hormonal secretion within the body, which can further lead to vision problems after pregnancy.
Symptoms :-
Some of the common symptoms of postpartum eye problems, normally experienced may include:
- Dizziness
- Double vision
- Light sensitivity
- Eye strain
- Intermittent blur
- Appearance of flashing lights
- Temporary loss of vision
Treatment :-
Vision changes encountered after the childbirth usually persists for six-eight months. During the pregnancy phase, contact lens users are often recommended to switch to normal glasses for their pregnancy phase.
Some of the treatment or curative measures to cure vision problems after pregnancy may include:
Treatment of Dry Eyes
He problem of dry eyes can simply treated by utilizing the saline solution, which is normally used by the contact lens users. You can also contact an experienced ophthalmologist, who can prescribe effective eye drops or artificial tears to cure the vision problems.
Treatment of Blurred Vision
If the condition of blurred vision persists for more than ten months after the childbirth, you can consult the ophthalmologist. He can further recommend for LASIK laser eye surgery or new contact lenses for your eyes.
Treatment of Preeclampsia
Problems of preeclampsia can be effectively treated by taking prescribed medications like corticosteroid or anticonvulsant, as suggested by your doctors .
Treatment of Gestational Diabetes
By regular exercising and eating well-balanced diet, gestational diabetes can be effectively treated.
All these effective treatments and prescribed medications can help mothers to get rid of their vision problems after pregnancy.
Remedies for Bloodshot Eyes During Postpartum
There are several ways to care for bloodshot eyes at home.
- Apply a cold compress to your eyes and the areas around your eyes several times a day.
- Soak a washcloth in cold water and place it on your eyes.
- You can rub ice cubes directly on your eyes or wrap them in a thin cloth and place it over your eyes. This will help curb redness and inflammation.
- Use tea bags to treat postpartum bloodshot eyes. Place used tea bags in the refrigerator to allow them to cool. Then place chilled tea bags on your eyes for fifteen minutes every time. Puffiness and redness is diminish with the help of tea which is a natural strangulations.
- Sleep with your head raised to avoid accumulation of fluids.
- Avoid eating foods that contain excessive salt.
- Ensure that you get as much rest as possible as this will effectively reduce the fatigue and strain on the eyes.