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Hot flushes, mood swings, night sweats - symptoms we all recognise as part of menopause. But not many people make the link between menopause and eye health. It can take years for menopause to present itself, and very often, the first signs manifest in your eyes.
Up to 60% of menopausal women may experience red eyes, blurred vision, a scratchy or stinging feeling in the eye, or a build-up of mucus along the eyelids. These are all indicators of Dry Eye, which affects twice as many women as men over the age of 50. We break down exactly what goes on with your eyes during menopause and some helpful (science-based) advice to help you manage.
Any time you go through a transition in hormonal balance, the regulation of certain glands in your body will change. During puberty, biological changes are overshadowed by enormous personal and emotional shifts. With menopause, however, the changes start from a period of relative homeostasis – making them feel much more impactful.
Those going through menopause often assume that Dry Eye is simply a reaction to their body’s natural ageing process and moisture loss. But it’s actually caused by changes to the levels of androgen and oestrogen present in the body. These fluctuations can impact the fluid coating your eye, making it feel dry or irritated.
It starts in the meibomian and lacrimal glands, located under you eyelids. These glands secrete lipids (a mixture of fats, oils and hormones). During menopause, the change in hormonal balance causes these lipids to thicken to a toothpaste-like consistency. Over time this may harden, and block some of your glands, leading to scratching and inflammation in your eyes and lids.
Menopause can also affect the goblet cells in your eyes. They produce and secrete less mucins (bottom layer of your tear film) onto the eyes' surface.
Once the symptoms of Dry Eye occur, it creates what’s known as an ‘inflammatory cascade’, making it harder to remedy at home without medical treatment. A combination of prevention and maintenance is essential to prevent this.