Why do dry eye symptoms appear during menopause?
Tears, which keep your eyes moist, are made up of three layers: water, oil, and mucus.
As levels of the hormones estrogen and androgen drop during menopause, the amount of oil in tears also decreases.
Without enough oil, tears evaporate too quickly, causing dry eyes.
Some symptoms of dry eye during menopause include:
- dry, rough
- Feeling like something is in your eye
- erythema
- burning and stinging
- Tears are leaking out
- blurry vision
- sensitivity to light
DYK?
Six out of 10 menopausal and postmenopausal women suffer from dry eye symptoms.
How is menopausal dry eye treated?
- general eye products
- artificial tears
- eyelid cleanser
- Heat compresses to increase tear oil
- prescription drugs
- eyewash
- doctor
- Nasal spray to stimulate tear production
- procedure
- phototherapy
- eyelid massage
Lifestyle changes that can help with dry eye symptoms
- Take a break from your screen
- Use a humidifier
- drink lots of water
- Eat foods containing eye-protecting fatty acids
- Fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel
- flaxseed
- chia seeds
- walnut
- If your eyes are uncomfortable, don’t wear contact lenses
- Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from light and wind
Dry eyes are common during menopause, but you don’t have to experience them.
If you experience dry eye symptoms, contact your health care provider.
- It’s affecting my daily life
- Do not treat with over-the-counter medications
- Do not improve with lifestyle changes
- I’m causing you pain
- This is causing inconvenience to viewing.
This training material was created with support from Viatris, a member of the HealthyWomen Corporate Advisory Board.
