5 ways to beat this sneaky cause of dry eye

Think your dry, irritated eyes are just due to allergies?

If you’ve been using prescription eye drops to block the histamines searching for relief, you could be wasting your time.

The real cause behind your dry eye problems could be the hormone changes that come with menopause.

Most women associate menopause with mood swings, hot flashes and night sweats but never think that hormonal issues could be the culprit behind their eye irritations. Even your doctor probably never made the connection.

Yet, more than 60% of women who suffer from menopausal symptoms also complain of dry eyes.

But, just because you’ve gone through menopause doesn’t mean you have to suffer from irritated, itchy burning eyes. The key is linking your symptoms with your hormonal changes and then taking action to achieve balance.

How your hormones cause dry eyes

Menopause causes a hormonal imbalance, which disrupts the chemical signals necessary to help your eyes create its own tears.

There are receptors for both estrogen and testosterone in your eyes, giving these hormones a direct effect on tear production.

After menopause, the higher your testosterone, the more tears your eyes produce. While on the flip side, the higher your estrogen levels, the less tear production and the dryer your eyes feel.

This makes balancing your hormones, including testosterone and estrogen vital to restoring your eyes natural moisture levels.

Symptoms of dry eyes

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you could be suffering from dry eye syndrome:

• Scratchy, dry, and painful sensation in both of your eyes
• Feeling like something is in your eyes
• Redness
• Mucus in or around your eyes
• Light sensitivity
• Tired eyes
• Blurred vision

Natural dry eye relief

Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to balance your hormones, beat menopause and get relief from your dry eyes.

#1 – Take omega-3s

Omega-3s support eye health, relieve inflammation and help your eyes produce the tears that keep it moist. You can take either an Omega 3 supplement or choose foods rich in these fatty acids, like salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel, eggs, flaxseed oil or chia seeds.

#2 – Balance your hormones

Help your body to produce balanced levels of estrogen and testosterone by consuming a diet high in whole grains and low in sugar and processed foods. Eat healthy fats like coconut and avocado oil and exercise regularly, especially interval training.

# 3 – Get more sleep

Sleep not only gives your eyes their needed rest, but it also helps to balance your hormones so get at least eight hours of sleep each night.

#4 – Drink more water

When your body is dehydrated, your eyes naturally produce fewer tears so be sure to hydrate. The extra water also helps flush toxins from your body that could be interfering with your hormone balance.

#5 – Choose organic skincare products

Don’t put irritants or pollutants around the skin of your face and eyes. This includes the makeup you use. Choose organic products to give your eyes the relief they need and get rid of makeup that contains hormone disruptors like petroleum.

Menopause is not just hot flashes and fatigue. It very well could be the reason behind your dry, itchy burning eyes. Use the tips above to balance your hormones and refresh your eyes.

Source:
A Complete Guide to Dry Eye Syndrome — EyeHealthWeb