Blurred vision and allergies

(Samantha ) #1

Hi,

I have been increasing my fat intake to meet my macros and lowering my protein in week three of my Keto journey. One weird new side effect is blurred vision. My eyes already are not the greatest and I wear glasses daily, but I have been having blurred vision issues. At first I though my glasses were dirty and I just couldn’t get them clean but then i realized it is actually my eyes. Also my allergies have been bad out of nowhere. Lots of nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. It is still winter in Wisconsin, so it is not spring allergy season yet. I already went through a Keto rash last week that has been clearing up.

I am taking malic acid, adding pink salt to all my foods, and staying hydrated. I also checked my blood pressure and it is 130/87. Not sure if this is a normal part of the detox process.

(Lee) #2

I don’t know about the blurred vision, but I did feel like my allergies got worse when I started keto. I think it was because of two things: First, I was trying to get used to using stevia in my coffee (instead of splenda). I then read that people who have ragweed allergies often get symptoms when they use stevia because they are part of the same plant family.
Another thought is dairy. Lots of us get allergy-type reactions from dairy even if we don’t have other common symptoms from lactose intolerance. I ate more dairy than usual because it’s a delicious fat source, but I am positive it affects me negatively. I am trying right now to quit.
I did notice my symptoms got a lot better after throwing away my stevia.
I just googled blurred vision and keto and got a lot of results! Apparently it’s not all that uncommon and goes away.

(Bunny) #3

May be getting too much of one kind of fat?

Just one of many possibilities or connected too it?

This happened to me too but it was because my vision was improving and still improving I barely need to use my eye glasses anymore!

References:

  1. American Optometric Association

Essential Fatty Acids Omega-3: DHA and EPA

Research has shown that two omega-3 fatty acids—docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)—are important for proper visual development and retinal function.

DHA and EPA Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Eye Health

DHA is found in the highest concentration in the retina, suggesting it has an important function there. EPA is used in the production of DHA in the body.

Studies in pre-term and full-term infants suggest that getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in the diet is essential for optimal visual development. A number of studies have shown that animals that do not get enough DHA in their diets suffer visual impairment and degradation of the retina.

Dry eye syndrome also has been linked to omega-3 deficiency. Additionally, low levels of DHA and EPA have been associated with diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinopathy of prematurity.

(Samantha ) #4

Thanks for the input. I have been allergy tested a few times and dairy has never been an issue. I however am allergic to ragweed! Maybe the stevia is playing a part in my issues. I will try cutting that out to see if it helps. Thanks much!

#5

I had a LOT of this in the beginning of my keto journey (blurred vision on and off and ridiculous sinus drainage). It lasted a good while. I’ve been doing keto for over a year and it’s really only started to clear up in the last few months (the blurred vision didn’t take as long to clear up, but did last a while), so I think there may be some truth to the detox theory.

(Vanessa) #6

I’m new here and I have blurred vision too but I’m hoping in time it’ll get better!