With the advancement of age, changes in hormones may occur. We can say that menopause is one of the periods when hormones change and even body functions are affected. So, can the changes and imbalance in hormones, especially during menopause, cause dry eye development?
Does Menopause Cause Dry Eye?
There are two hormones acting here. The first is the androgen hormone and the second is the ostrogen hormone. During menopause, a decrease in both of these hormones begins to occur.
The decrease in both hormones causes conditions that affect tear production. Tear production decreases and the functioning of the lacrimal glands slows down.
As a result, the person becomes more prone to dry eye. In other words, although we cannot say that menopause directly causes dry eye, we can indirectly say that menopause contributes to the formation of dry eye.
Because the biggest cause of dry eye is the inadequate production or insufficient quality of tears. Deterioration of the tear structure during menopause is also an important factor.
On the other hand, there is another point that the person should pay attention to. Medications or treatments used for menopause do not target dry eye. Therefore, if complaints such as dry eye are experienced in such periods, the best thing to do is to get support from a specialist ophthalmologist.
The specialist physician can give supportive drops against dry eye formation, as well as treatments to stimulate tear production.
