Does eclampsia cause vision changes in pregnancy?

Eclampsia is a pregnancy-related emergency involving seizures in the setting of pre-eclampsia, which can involve high blood pressure and affected organs. Visual symptoms may include blurred vision, flashing lights, blind spots, or unusual sensitivity to light. They can occur before a seizure or around the time of one, and may also appear after birth.

Vision changes have other possible causes, including migraine, eye problems, or low blood sugar. That does not make them safe to watch at home during pregnancy or soon after delivery. A maternity team needs to check blood pressure, urine, symptoms, and overall wellbeing promptly.

If you develop new blurred vision, flashing lights, or blind spots during pregnancy or after delivery, contact your maternity unit or emergency service immediately. Do not drive yourself. Tell the team how the symptom began, whether you have a severe headache, upper abdominal pain, shortness of breath, swelling, confusion, or reduced fetal movement, and take your blood pressure reading if one is already available.

Treat vision changes with severe headache, chest or upper abdominal pain, breathlessness, confusion, or a seizure as an emergency. Call emergency services for a seizure, collapse, difficulty breathing, or sudden severe symptoms. Keep the person safe from injury during a seizure, do not put anything in the mouth, and turn them onto their side when possible.

Could my vision symptom be related to pre-eclampsia or eclampsia? What tests and monitoring do I need now? What symptoms should make me call emergency services after I go home?