Can menopause cause eye problems?

Hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, and weight gain are all well-known symptoms of menopause. But, did you know that menopause can cause eye problems, too? 

Hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone, fluctuate during menopause so that a woman’s vision may be altered. Dry eyes, cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration become more common.

Menopause causes dry eye

Dry eyes are caused by an inflamed ocular surface and are associated with itchiness, burning, and pain. While shifting hormones are a contributing factor, because estrogen helps the eyes make tears as a protective covering, it is unclear exactly how this happens. In people over age fifty, almost twice as many women who had gone through menopause had dry eyes compared to men.

Some of the most common symptoms of dry eye include:

• Blurry vision
• Red eyes
• Burning eye pain
• Vision that comes and goes

Menopause may cause cataracts

While it is unknown whether cataracts are directly related to decreased estrogen occurring in menopause, cataracts are much more common in postmenopausal women than in men of the same age. A study found that women who went through menopause and used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had a 14% higher risk of needing cataract removal. 

Beginning around age sixty, women with cataracts may start experiencing painless symptoms such as:

• Cloudy vision
• Sensitivity to glare
• Double vision
• Poor night vision
• Loss of color intensity

Cataracts refer to the eye’s natural lens becoming cloudy which does not improve with blinking or new glasses. It may also cause problems driving at night. If you have gone through menopause and notice your eyesight worsening, we may offer anti-glare eyeglasses or contact lenses. We may also recommend cataract removal if needed.

Menopause can worsen glaucoma

Glaucoma is an umbrella term that covers a group of conditions affecting the eyes due to increased eye pressure, which can damage the optic nerve. A loss of estrogen associated with menopause seems to increase the chances of women developing glaucoma.

Left untreated, the condition can produce permanent vision loss. Glaucoma can be hereditary so it’s important to see us at New York Laser Vision and stay regular with your follow-up appointments. We can carefully watch for any changes to your vision and suggest appropriate treatment options; if found early enough, glaucoma can be treated and controlled.

Relief for eye problems caused by menopause

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help ease menopausal and postmenopausal eye problems. To help keep your eyes healthy throughout your life:

• Take the recommended daily allowance of nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, and E, along with copper, zinc, and DHA
• Get regular exercise to improve blood circulation to the small blood vessels in the eyes. 
• Close your eyes and rest them once every hour to protect them from fatigue and overexertion
• Getting enough sleep renews your eyes for another day of visual activity
• Be gentle with your eyes by avoiding rubbing the eyes, taking breaks from screens every 20 minutes, and always turning on a bright light for reading
• Avoid or stop smoking because it increases the odds of developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration

You can treat dry eye symptoms by, first, avoiding environmental triggers that can worsen tear evaporation. Try over-the-counter artificial tear eye drops and lubricating eye gel, or get prescription medication from your doctor that reduces eyelid or cornea inflammation or stimulates tear production.

To reiterate, having regular eye exams to check for vision changes and adjust prescriptions is very important. A comprehensive eye exam can also reveal health issues that manifest first in the small vessels of the eyes, and eye conditions and systemic issues can then be monitored, tracked, and managed.

New York Laser Vision can help eye problems caused by menopause

At New York Laser Vision, our eye doctors are dedicated to giving you the most high-quality eye care available to live your life crystal clear. From general eye care to vision correction and cataract surgery for eye issues caused by menopause, New York Laser Vision offers several procedures and treatments, each designed to help you see as clearly as possible.