While the taboos surrounding menopause and its symptoms – from brain fog and fatigue to hot flushes and joint pain – are finally being broken down, the impact of the hormonal changes on women’s eyes are still largely unknown.
New research commissioned by Vision Express to mark National Eye Health Week – and the arrival of its new menopause eye tests on the high street – has found that over a third of the women were unaware that blurred vision (38%) and dry eye syndrome (37%) could be connected to the hormonal changes that occur in mid-life, while 26% reported feeling scared about their eyesight during menopause.
Research from eye hospital group Optegra backed this up, revealing that only a third of women realise that reduction of oestrogen in menopause can lead to issues from blurred sight to an increased risk of cataract.
Dr Nabila Jones, optometrist and research associate at Optegra Eye Health Care, explains: “There are a number of changes to women’s eyes as they age and enter the menopause.
“Hormonal fluctuations such as excess or reduced oestrogen can affect the glands of the eyes which produce tears and the balance of tears, contributing to dry eye disease, yet only 21% of people we questioned were aware of the condition and only a third of UK adults realise that over-the-counter eye drops will relieve symptoms of dry eye, which means thousands of women are putting up with debilitating symptoms as a key side effect of menopause, when simple eye drops can bring immediate relief.”
For Uttoxeter nurse Lucy Vale, 48, her peri-menopause symptoms came as a surprise, because she had not realised her dry eye may be connected to hormones too.
“I have worked in nursing for 20 years and always had good recall, good memory and then suddenly I was getting such brain fog, anxiety and irritability I could not work out what was happening to me,” she says.
“Now I am on HRT and things are so much better, but over the past year I have noticed that my eyes are very dry and irritable.
“I use contact lenses, and while I used to feel the need to have a day off wearing them once a month, now I have to take a break once a week.
“My eyes are so dry it makes me want to rub them, but that just makes it feel even more gritty. It can affect my vision too, making it hard to read at times.
“I use eye drops to lubricate them now which helps, but I had not realised it may be connected to being perimenopausal.”
It might sound like an obvious solution, but often women don’t think to try eye drops to deal with the issue, because the symptoms can be confusing.
“Despite its name, a frequently reported sign of dry eye disease is that they become overly watery,” explains Dr Jones.
“This is because the glands of the eye stop producing enough oils for the outer layer of the tear film, causing tears to evaporate more quickly. Our eyes then overcompensate by making more, but lower quality tears, causing watering.
There are steps you can take to help yourself though. “A diet rich in omega-3 may be useful to help prevent and manage dry eye disease, which is found in walnuts, flax seeds and oily fish such as salmon and mackerel,” says Dr Jones.
“Almost all of us over-use technology and this can cause eyes to dry out as we actually forget to blink when focusing so hard on screens. The advice is to follow the 20-20-20 rule to give your eyes a break – look away from your screen to a distance of 20ft, for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes.”
Now, Vision Express has announced it will be training all its eyecare professionals on menopause and the impact it has on eye health, beginning with a pilot in 30 of their stores nationwide.
Dan McGhee, clinical services director at Vision Express, said: “The team and I at Vision Express feel so proud to be the first optician on the high street to upskill all clinical staff on the impact the menopause has on eye health.
“We want women to feel encouraged to book an eye test if they notice changes to their vision during this time of midlife and feel confident to speak to the optician about their symptoms.”
Vision Express’ Advanced Eye Test is available for just £30, or if you’re eligible for an NHS-funded eye test you can upgrade (from £6)*, and is bookable on the Vision Express website here