Does pregnancy affect eyesight?
It can. Hormonal changes affect the tear film and can change the refractive state slightly, which is why vision that has shifted during pregnancy is usually re-measured afterwards rather than corrected while it is happening. Some conditions, including diabetic eye disease, need closer monitoring during pregnancy.
- Subject
- Eye health
- Topic
- General health & the eye
- Kind of question
- Other questions
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
What this answer depends on
- Whether the change is in one eye or both
- Whether you have diabetes or high blood pressure
- Whether the change persists after pregnancy
Related guides
People also ask
The questions readers move to next from this one: the closest subjects first, from either question bank.
Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Everyday eye health in General health & the eye . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- The Royal College of Ophthalmologists
The UK professional body for ophthalmologists, which publishes standards and commissioning guidance for refractive surgery services.
Used for What good preoperative assessment and consent look like.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026