Dry eyes

Could dryness of the eyes be a sign of lack of estrogen?

Dry eyes could be from lack of estrogen, as well as dry skin, dry hair, and vaginal dryness.

I was never able to wear contacts as my eyes would itch and get too dry. This summer I had LASIK surgery have had to use drops a lot so that I can see better. The Dr. said that HRT can affect your eyes so just keep liquid tears. I don't use anything that is medicated or with additives.

Can it ever
My skin has always been a bit dry (allergies). In menopause (before HRT) my eyes became really really dry, my skin looked atrocious and my vaginal mucosa started to bleed on occassion.

When I was at a conference in late September, I developed red eyes. I assumed it was from the hotel's dry air, etc., along with staring at slide shows two days in a row. I later remembered that my roommate and I shared a bottle of wine over dinner the night before the irritation started. Could red wine do anything to your eyes? Also, I went to my eye doctor and he told me to use natural tears. He said I have "superior limbal keratoconjunctivitis). When it didn't clear up, he prescribed Cromyln Sodium -- one drop in each eye four times a day. That was last Saturday and I am getting some relief, but not total yet. I plan on keeping the natural tears (Tears Naturale II) in my purse when the Cromyln Sodium is finished. I also am hypothyroid and have very dry skin, no contact lenses.
Anyone else ever have this problem? Lauren, do you see this often? I am on Premarin 0.625.

Red eyes could be a thyroid problem, whereas dry eyes could be thyroid or low estrogen. You may want to consider switching to the natural hormones for better balance (I didn't come to Ohio for nothing!). Premarin could possibly be tying up the thyroid hormone rendering it inactive and therefore causing hypothyoid symptoms.

for anyone with chronic dry eyes.....you can have an opthamologist put punctal plugs in the tearducts of your eyes if it is a real problem. relatively painless, you get used to them so you don't even feel them, and they're covered by insurance. i've had them for 2 years. cynthia