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By Jerry Hall
While 62 percent of older women experience dry eye, only 16
percent know it's linked to menopause, a new survey shows. The
prevalence of dry eye is very high, and growing, dry eye
impacts the quality of life, as well as the physical health,
of
10 million Americans each year.
Menopause occurs in all women. It can occur when the ovaries
spontaneously fail to produce the hormones oestrogen and
progesterone, when the ovaries fail due to specific treatment
such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or when the ovaries are
removed, often at the time of a hysterectomy.
The survey, which was released Thursday and sponsored by the
Society for Women's Health Research, polled 304 menopausal and
perimenopausal women about dry eye. Of those women who had
experienced dry eye, only 59 percent had spoken to their
doctor
about the condition, the survey found. When it came to
treatment
for dry eye, 58 percent had tried over the counter eye drops
to
ease their symptoms.
Approximately 3.2 million American women over the age of 50
are
affected by chronic dry eye. For many women, dry eye is
related
to the change in hormone levels of menopause.
Since risk of dry eye increases with age, the number of people
affected will increase as the population ages. Many more women
suffer from dry eye than men. In fact, dry eye is about two to
three times more common in women.
Dry eye results from insufficient tear production, excessive
tear evaporation, or from the production of toxic tears, which
can be caused by inflammation. The condition can be a mild,
episodic feeling of discomfort associated with exposure to
dry,
hot or windy environments. But it can also be a chronic
condition that can lead to increased risk of infection or
visual impairment. Chronic dry eye can impact the quality of
life, interfering with reading, work, using a computer and
night driving.
Dry eye is a part of the aging process for all of us,’ said
Dr.
Laurie Barber, a professor of ophthalmology at the University
of
Arkansas for Medical Sciences. ‘Dry eye is a complex and
progressive disorder that has many possible causes and
contributing factors.’
These factors include medications and diseases patients may
have, including autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Symptoms
may
include irritation, burning, stinging, discomfort, grittiness,
foreign body sensation, blurred vision and sensitivity to
light, Barber said. If not treated, persistent visual problems
may haunt the patient and decrease the ability to complete
daily activities.
Treatments for dry eye are based not only on disease, but also
on the cause of the disease. There are three main treatment
options artificial tears, prescription therapies and surgery.
One of the latest therapies is a prescription that increases
tear production in patients with dry eye resulting from
inflammation, Barber said.
Premature or early menopause may follow surgery such as
hysterectomy when the ovaries may be removed along with the
womb, or may occur early even if the ovaries are left in place
at the time of hysterectomy. Other causes of early or
premature
menopause include chromosomal disorders such as Turner's
syndrome and Down's syndrome, autoimmune disorder (when
antibodies which work against the ovaries are produced), and
chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Some drugs may stop the ovaries
functioning early but usually ovarian function resumes when
the
drug is stopped. Often there is no obvious cause of premature
or
early menopause.
About The Author: Hormones can affect many vital functions in
your body. That's why keeping your hormones in their proper
balance is essential to the way you live. Find out about
Balance Hormone at
www.smartreviewguide.com/balancehormone
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