Dry Eye: Is Menopause to Blame?

If your eyes burn, are scratchy or red, or you're sensitive to light, you might have this common condition.

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Do your eyes sting or burn? Are they watery, red, or irritated?

Or maybe it feels like there’s something in your eye, or your vision is blurry, or you’re sensitive to light.

You may have trouble driving at night, or feel extreme eye fatigue.

Or…maybe…

⬆️ All of the above.

Dry eye - when your tears can’t provide enough lubrication for your eyes - can happen for many reasons. Yes, one thing you can blame is menopause.

You’re probably familiar with how dryness descends on many parts of your body; your hair, your skin, and likely… your nether regions.

What’s up with that? Sex hormones, like estrogens and androgens, play a major role in dry eye. That’s why many women begin to notice this problem around perimenopause and beyond.

Aha…also makes sense that dry eye affects women almost twice as often as men.

Yeah, we’re lucky like that.

What else besides menopause causes 16.4 million Americans to suffer with dry eye?

👀Contact lenses

👀Laser surgery

👀Some medications like antihistamines, beta blockers and antidepressants

👀Allergies

👀Aging

👀You produce poor-quality tears

👀Certain autoimmune diseases, like lupus or Sjögren syndrome

👀Lack of adequate vitamin A or omega-3 fatty acids

👀Time spent looking at your computer, tablet or smart phone

You know when you get a mosquito bite and you desperately want/need to scratch? Dry eyes are like that, too. Caution: Don’t!

Rubbing dry eyes can not only worsen your discomfort but can lead to infections and even damage your cornea (the clear outer layer at the front of your eye). That’s because dry eyes don’t have enough lubrication to be able to flush out dirt and germs. If you rub your eyes, you face the risk of pushing the irritants deeper into your eye, creating scratches, and increasing the risk of infection and damage.

Aside from the typical symptoms, your eye doc, during a regular comprehensive dilated exam, can diagnose the problem.

So…what to do? For my dry eye, I’ve tried some of the following. One of the most soothing, though temporary, solutions I’ve found is a moist eye mask like this one. You can also:

• Try over-the-counter solutions like artificial tears, moisturizing gels and ointments.

• Eyelid wipes like these may also be soothing and help clear clogged pores along the lash line.

• Avoid irritants like smoke, wind, and air conditioning.

• Use a humidifier to help moisten the air around you.

• Drink plenty of water.

• For more severe cases, a prescription like Restasis or Xiidra can help your eyes produce more tears.

• There is also a drop called Miebo, available by prescription, that can help with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, when your eye’s oil-secreting glands don’t secrete adequate lubrication. (My doctor gave me a prescription, but unfortunately, it is prohibitively expensive! Maybe your insurance is better than mine…sigh)

• Tear duct plugs can be placed in your tear ducts (small holes in the inner corners of your eyes) by your doc if too many tears are draining from your eyes.

When it comes down to it, we need to be kind to our eyes, in more ways than one. Give your dry eyes some love with what’s known as the 20-20-20 rule: If you’re on the computer or watching TV, take a break every 20 minutes and look at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This will help reset, relax, and rest your eyes and help prevent them from becoming strained and dry.

Here’s to comfort, and many happy tears. And to staying healthy, wellthy and teary!

XoSheryl

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