What You Need to Know About
Menopause and Eye Health

Blurred Vision

Can blurry vision be a symptom of menopause? This is a common question—and the answer is yes. Blurred vision, similar to that experienced during pregnancy, is due to natural hormone fluctuations. Estrogen levels naturally decrease, which stiffens the cornea and affects how light is refracted through the eyes. However, unlike pregnancy-related blurry vision, which improves after giving birth, menopause-related blurry vision doesn’t correct itself. This is because hormones never return to a steady level, but continually decrease as you age unless supplemented by prescription medication.

Dry Eye Disease

Dry eyes don’t only bring on the sensation of dryness, but also symptoms like itchiness, burning and pain. Dry eye disease (DED) is caused by an inflamed ocular surface and is prevalent among menopausal and postmenopausal women. While a shift in hormone levels is a contributing factor, it is unclear exactly how this happens.

Cataracts

It is unknown whether cataracts are directly related to a decrease in estrogen occurring in menopause, but cataracts are much more common in postmenopausal women than in men of the same age. Beginning around age 60, women with cataracts may start experiencing painless symptoms like cloudy vision, sensitivity to glare, double vision, poor night vision and loss of color intensity. These symptoms tend to worsen as time goes by.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a term used to cover a group of conditions affecting the eyes, usually due to an increase in eye pressure, which can damage the optic nerve. Left untreated, glaucoma damages vision and may lead to blindness. A loss of estrogen seems to contribute to one’s chances of developing glaucoma.

Age-related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is the number one cause of vision loss in older women. Symptoms of blurry central vision, blind spots and poor depth perception are due to abnormal blood vessels growing under the macula (central area of the retina) in the eye. This eye disease is not attributed to menopause, but can set in at the same time that menopause ensues.

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

Having a healthy lifestyle throughout your life benefits your eyes and can help ease menopausal and postmenopausal eye problems. Here are ways to help keep your eyes healthy throughout your life:

• Take the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of nutrients. Vitamins A, C and E along with copper, zinc and DHA are all essential nutrients for eye function. Additionally, antioxidants can help minimize macular degeneration. Whether you get from supplements or through foods like carrots, eggs, kale, sweet potatoes and fish, just make sure you’re consistently reaching the RDA.
• Get regular exercise to improve blood circulation to the small blood vessels in the eyes. Also, try working out the muscles around the eyes in the morning after waking up and in the evening before going to sleep. To do this, squeeze your eyes shut and then open them wide. Then, roll your eyes in each direction. Finally, focus on your finger held at a distance. Keep the focus on the finger while you move it closer to your face and then out again.
• Close your eyes and rest them once every hour to protect them from fatigue and overexertion. In addition, getting enough sleep helps renew your eyes and gets them ready for another day of visual activity.
• Be gentle with your eyes by such practices as avoiding rubbing the eyes, taking breaks from screens every 20 minutes, wearing goggles in chlorinated swimming pool water 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.

Treat Dry Eye Symptoms

Before, during and after menopause, women’s androgens (sex hormones) begin to decrease, which can affect tear production. You can treat dry eye symptoms by, first, avoiding environmental triggers that can worsen tear evaporation. Possible triggers include:

• Exposing your eyes to the wind (while running, skilling, boating, etc.) without wearing sunglasses or goggles
• Sitting near air vents that blow directly on you or nearby
• Experiencing allergic irritants like pollen and plants
• Wearing contact lenses not specifically designed for dry eyes

Next, try over-the-counter artificial tear eye drops and lubricating eye gel. However, it is important not to overuse these, because they can cause eye irritation. Another option is to get a prescription medication from your doctor. There are products that reduce eyelid or cornea inflammation or stimulate tear production. Your doctor can help you find the right solution for your situation.

You may have heard of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) being used to treat dry eye disease, but study results have been mixed. If you’re interested in exploring this treatment for dry eyes during menopause, talk to your eye doctor.

Get Regular Eye Exams

Having regular eye exams to check for vision changes and adjust prescriptions are very important. A comprehensive eye exam can also reveal health issues that manifest first in the small vessels of the eyes, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. This is critically important because changes can be detected before you even notice a problem. Eye conditions and systemic issues can then be monitored, tracked and managed much more easily and more effectively with regular care from an eye doctor.

If you notice vision changes or experience eye discomfort or pain at any time, you should get your eyes checked as soon as possible. This is especially true during middle age and beyond,because sight can rapidly decline and eye diseases can set in quickly.