NEW YORK - A new survey says that one reason for women suffering from dry eyes could be the hormonal changes that accompany menopause. The survey, which was sponsored by the Society for Women's Health Research showed that 62 percent of menopausal and perimenopausal women suffer from dry eye, which causes symptoms like burning, itching or scratchiness, of the eyes, blurred vision and sensitivity to light.
The survey polled 304 women aged between 45 and 57 years and found that only 16 percent were aware that dry eye is a symptom of menopause. Putting the results in perspective, Phyllis E. Greenberger, the president and CEO of the Society for Women's Health Research said, "Dry eye isn't just a necessary evil of growing older. For many women, dry eye is related to the changing hormone levels of menopause just as much as hot flashes, depression, insomnia and vaginal dryness." It must be noted that dry eyes should never be ignored since they could lead to irreversible eye damage later on. "Dry eye impacts the quality of life, as well as the physical health, of 10 million Americans each year," Greenberger pointed out.
Treatment options for dry eye vary with the cause. There are three treatment options, artificial tears, prescription of drugs or even surgery. Dietary changes can also help in reducing the severity of the symptoms. "Dry eye can be caused by conditions such as lacrimal gland disease that affects tear production, or conditions that decrease corneal sensation, such as LASIK eye surgery, long-term contact lens wear and diabetes," said Dr. Jeffrey P. Gilbard, of the Harvard Medical School.
He added that the presence of sandy, gritty irritation of a foreign body sensation of more than three months duration should be taken as a dry eye until proven otherwise. Gilbard said that using eye drops and increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids appeared to up the tear production and should be the preferred treatment.
