Oral contraceptives may cause blindness

Long-term use of oral contraceptives doubles the risk of developing glaucoma. That is the conclusion drawn by researchers from the University of California at San Francisco.

oral contraceptives

If a woman takes oral contraceptives   more than three years in a row, her risk of becoming a victim Glaucoma   It grows twice. Blame should the female hormone estrogen, which is a key component oral contraceptives . It plays an important role in development of the disease, is the most common cause of blindness.   Glaucoma   It causes irreversible damage to the optic nerve.

In this context, regularly use oral contraceptives women should be inspected ophthalmologist due to the increased risk of glaucoma, according to the study authors. Previously, these pills are also associated with other eye diseases. In the new study, the researchers collected data on 3,406 women older than 40 for the period from 2005 to 2008. All study participants exhaustively questioned about their reproductive health, and women exists eyesight checked using special tests.

It turned out that took more than three consecutive years of oral contraceptives in women of any type 2, 05 times more often diagnosed with glaucoma. Although this study does not prove that it contraceptives cause glaucoma (solid evidence must be produced at the new research), it leads to the conclusion about the existence of such a link. Ophthalmologists should consider this information as well as other risk factors such as family history of eye disease. (READ MORE)

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