Dry eye - the unknown menopausal symptom

Few menopausal women realise that dry eye is a symptom of menopause, a new survey shows.

The survey, sponsored by the Society for Women's Health Research in the US, polled 304 menopausal and peri-menopausal women between the ages of 45 and 57 to establish the level of awareness about the condition. Of the survey respondents, 62% had experienced dry eye symptoms, however, only 16 percent of these woman knew that the condition was linked to menopause. Worryingly, of the 62% of women suffering from dry eye, only 59 had sought professional healthcare advice about their symptoms, 58% of respondents had tried over-the-counter eye drops to ease their symptoms

Evaluation of the cause of the disease can significantly affect treatment options which currently include artificial tears, surgery and prescriptive therapies.