Everything’s so blurry…

Dear Dr Mitchell,

I had a baby two years ago and since then things have gone downhill. I’ve been unable to lose the weight in my stomach area no matter that I changed my diet and exercise daily, but the most worrying has been my eyesight. Everything started to get blurry, and I went to do an eye test and the doctor suggested that the sudden onset of eye issues may be diabetes. However, I did a blood sugar test and my blood sugar is normal. I’m still having poor vision, am unable to lose the weight, and I’m fatigued all the time. I had a C-section. What could be the problem?

The problem that you are experiencing with the excessive weight gain and difficulty losing the extra weight needs to be properly evaluated. Losing weight can be difficult and so it is important to get help from a dietician. This will help you to create a healthy balance with the appropriate portion of foods with a significant reduction in the amount of calories that you consume each day. It also requires a lot of discipline to stick with the weight loss programme. A regular exercise routine will also help you to burn off some of the extra calories and lose the weight. It is important to get a blood test done to check your thyroid hormone levels since a low level of thyroid hormones can result in excessive weight gain and a decrease in your metabolism which makes it difficult to lose the extra weight. You should also repeat the blood glucose level test to ensure that you are not diabetic.

Blurred vision may be due to several problems. An elevation in your prolactin levels caused from an enlargement in the pituitary gland can compress the main nerve supply to the eye (optic nerve) and cause blurred vision. You should do a blood test to check your prolactin levels and do a CT scan of the brain and pituitary gland to rule out an abnormal growth.

Almost half of all pregnant women will experience changes in their vision. Hormonal changes in pregnancy can cause dry eyes and blurred vision. This results in fluid retention in the eyes which causes the eyes to swell. Elevated blood pressure and pre-eclampsia can also cause blurred vision. It is important to have your blood pressure checked. If you had pre-eclampsia during the pregnancy, you could have some residual problem with blurred vision after delivery. This usually settles with time and in most women complete return to normal vision is possible. It is important to have a complete evaluation done by your opthalmologist to ensure the exact underlying cause of the blurred vision.

Consult your general doctor or obstetrician who will do all your blood investigations and blood pressure checks, with referral to a dietician and also to see the eye specialist.

Best regards.

Dr Sharmaine Mitchell is an obstetrician and gynaecologist. Send questions via e-mail to allwoman@jamaicaobserver.com; write to All Woman, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5 or fax to 876-968-2025. All responses are published. Dr Mitchell cannot provide personal responses.

DISCLAIMER:

The contents of this article are for informational purposes only, and must not be relied upon as an alternative to medical advice or treatment from your own doctor.