For the study, University of California, San Francisco and Duke University researchers looked at the health records of 3,406 women over age 40 who had completed surveys about their vision and reproductive health as part of a larger Centers for Disease Control survey from 2005-2008. They found that the women who were on the pill for three or more years were twice as likely to report being diagnosed with glaucoma than women who were on the pill for fewer than three years or who didn’t take oral contraceptives at all. Previous studies have shown that estrogen levels might play a role in the development of glaucoma, says lead study author Elaine Wang, a medical student at Duke. The data used in this study didn’t specify which particular type or brand of oral contraceptive pills were used, so it’s hard to say if estrogen or progestin might be a more important player. But either way, it’s possible that altering the body’s natural hormone fluctuations, as oral contraceptives do, could be to blame, she says. The link isn’t cause for panic or a reason to ditch your go-to birth control method, stresses Wang. Rather, it’s something to monitor. Schedule annual eye exams to catch glaucoma early, and see a doctor right away if you’re experiencing blurred vision, trouble with your peripheral vision, eye pain, or if you’re seeing halos—all symptoms of glaucoma. There’s not yet a cure, but early detection and treatment can help slow down the disease’s progression and preserve vision longer, Wang says. More from Prevention: Natural Remedies For Dry Eyes
