Birth control pills are a very common form of contraception and has other various uses in women’s health, but recent findings have found that there may be a link between the pill and eye disease after extended use. Eyes contain estrogen receptors, and we know the pill is a hormonal drug that affects the levels of estrogen in a woman’s body. A link between the two may exist due to estrogen regulation in birth control, and the absorption of estrogen in eyes.
Glaucoma is an eye disease that is usually found in people above the age of forty. It can be found in younger people, but it is less common. On top of this, women are more likely to have glaucoma than men. There is no known cure to glaucoma, but there are steps and procedures that can be done to slow its development. If not negated, the findings show that women who have been on oral birth control for over two or three years are twice as likely to develop glaucoma. The risk of getting glaucoma is about 1.87% according to the Center for Disease Control, so once doubled, that puts the risk of a birth control using woman over forty around 4%. Once more research has been done, more solid evidence of its effects may appear, but for now it isn’t an issue that should prevent women from taking birth control.
Although the information is limited and contested, there are other drugs that have many unforeseen side effects that are far more severe. If you or someone you know is injured by an product that does not warn of possible negative side effects, please contact the professionals at Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP to get you the compensation you deserve.
