What is the link between menopause and dry eyes?
The menopause is well known for causing a whole host of symptoms, but did you know that one of these is eye dryness? Around 61% of women experience menopause eye dryness, yet the link between menopause and dry eyes isn’t frequently talked about. Though the condition is often uncomfortable, there are treatments available.
What is Eye Dryness?
Dry eyes, also known as Dry Eye or Dry Eye Syndrome, is a common condition that affects around two million people in the UK. More women are impacted than men, partly due to the link between menopause and dry eyes.
Symptoms of menopause eye dryness includes your eyes feeling persistently gritty, itchy, burning, painful, and/or tired. These symptoms tend to worsen as the day goes on and can be irritating and even painful.
If you have severe dry eye symptoms, you are at risk of developing corneal infection or ulceration. Both conditions can cause permanent vision loss, so it’s important to seek professional help promptly
Menopause and dry eyes causes
Dry eyes occur when you either don’t have enough tears, or the correct composition of tears, to lubricate the eyes. This lack of lubrication is what causes discomfort. As we age, tear production decreases naturally and there is also the connection between menopause and dry eyes.
When it comes to the link between the menopause and dry eyes, changes in hormone levels are to blame. During menopause, the production of androgens, progesterones and oestrogen decrease. These hormonal changes can affect all three layers of the tear film, reducing both the quantity and quality of tears, making the likelihood of tear evaporation higher. All of these factors can reduce eye lubrication, causing menopause eye dryness and discomfort.
What can you do to decrease menopause eye dryness?
Menopause eye dryness can range from slightly uncomfortable to life-disrupting, not to mention the double load of having to contend with both menopause and dry eyes symptoms. However, there are solutions. To soothe mild menopause eye dryness at home, you can try:
Soak a flannel in warm (not hot) water and gently apply to the area around your eyes. This encourages the oil around the eyes produced by your glands to be runnier and more lubricating.
Other alternatives are an eye bag or Blephasteam Goggles. Eye bags provide warmth to the eyelids without having to worry about cotton wool balls and hot water. A more expensive option is Blephasteam Goggles, which are an electrical pair of goggles that provide warmth and steam.
Lubricating eye drops are usually the first line of treatment for dry eyes and can be bought over the counter. Try different types to see what suits you best. If you find the drops aggravate your eye, try using non-preserved drops instead. While eye drops may provide relief, they won’t address the underlying problem.
Modern diet tends to be lacking in sufficient quantities of Omega 3 with an overbalance of Omega 6, which contributes to inflammation. Omega 3 supplementation has been shown to be very useful for eye dryness but it’s important the correct preparation is used. One such product is Centre for Sight’s Omega 3 supplement, backed by leading consultants and available to purchase.
What to do when at home self care doesn’t work
If the home self care doesn’t work or you have more severe menopause eye dryness, there are plenty of more specialist treatment options to try:
One option to treat menopause and dry eyes is HRT, which replaces the hormones that your body produces less of as you go through menopause. Your General Practitioner is usually the person to contact to explore this option.
Though HRT may suit some people experiencing menopause eye dryness, it has shown to have mixed results. If you experience negative side effects from HRT or simply want to explore another approach, there are specialist eye treatments available.
For a solution that targets the eye more specifically, you can seek treatment from an eye specialist, otherwise known as an ophthalmologist. There are a range of options to suit different situations:
In more severe cases of dry eye, your eye might become inflamed. In this instance, anti-inflammatory medications including steroid eye drops may be prescribed. These are safe for short-term use, but you must be monitored by your ophthalmologist.
Restasis is an ointment preparation of Ciclosporin. The ointment is useful in decreasing inflammation and in Sjogren’s Syndrome. It is sometimes used in conjunction with steroid eye drops to treat inflammatory dry eye.
Punctal Occlusion may be an option offered in severe cases. This involves blocking ducts within your eyelid. The ducts carry tears away from the eye to the nose. Again, this is an option best advised by your doctor after careful analysis.
Available at Centre for Sight, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment is our newest dry eye solution. The treatment involves a series of light pulses in a very specific manner and works by stimulating the Meibomian glands to produce lipids/oils. Many patients notice a difference in their eye comfort within a few hours to days following the first treatment.
LLLT is an innovative and non-invasive treatment that targets the root cause of dry eyes. It uses precise wavelengths of light to stimulate the natural healing process in the body, promoting cellular repair and reducing inflammation. This latest treatment offers a safe, pain free way to improve long-term eye comfort and health, and is particularly effective in managing chronic dry eye. Find out more on our LLLT treatment page or book a consultation to discover if it’s the right treatment for you.
No more daily dry eye
The symptoms of menopause and dry eyes can be debilitating, but suffering with eye dryness on a daily basis doesn’t have to be your normal. There are a wide range of treatments on offer with high success rates. The choice of treatment is highly dependent on the type of menopause eye dryness you have and this is best determined by an ophthalmologist.
To find out which treatment would be best suited to your individual case of menopause eye dryness, contact Centre for Sight today. There’s no need to let the link between menopause and dry eyes run your life.