EFFECT OF MENSTRUATION ON TEARS PRODUCTION IN YOUNG WOMEN

ABSTRACT

While the primary purpose of menstruation is to prepare the female body for potential pregnancy, the extensive impact of its hormonal cascade extends beyond the reproductive domain. However, an aspect that has received limited attention is the potential influence of menstruation on tear production, a critical element of ocular health. This study aimed to investigate the effect of menstruation on tears production in young women. A total of one hundred (100) healthy young females between 16-30 years of age who met the inclusion criteria participated in this study. The participants were classified into four (4) groups based on the length of their menstrual cycle; 26 days cycle (group 1), 28 days cycle (group 2), 30 days cycle (group 3) and 31 days cycle (group 4). Tear volume was measured using a Schirmer’s test strip before (pre-menstruation) and during menstruation. The results of this study showed tear volume between pre-menstrual time period and menstrual time period differed by 0.800 and 0.390 in the right eye and left eye respectively. However, there was no significant difference in the pre-menstruation tear volume and menstrual tear volume in both eyes (p = 0.212) and in the left eye (p =0.512). Also, there was a significant difference in pre-menstrual tear volume in the right and left eyes of participants of different age groups; p = 0.026 and p= 0.034 respectively. Likewise, there was a significant difference in tear volume in the right and left eyes of participants of different age groups of young women during menstruation; p = 0.033 and p= 0.007 respectively. In addition, while most participants were asymptomatic, headache/ocular ache (38.2%) was the most common self-reported ocular symptom. In conclusion, the result of this study showed that there was no significant difference in tear production between the pre-menstrual and menstrual phases among young women. The majority of the women did not experience notable ocular symptoms, though headache/ocular ache emerged as the most prevalent. Additionally, there was a significant difference in the tear volume of young women during menstruation in different age groups, with individuals aged 26-30 years generally demonstrating elevated tear volume compared to their counterparts aged 16-20 years, who exhibited lower tear volume. Keywords: tears production, menstruation, women, menstrual cycle.