Naomi Watts says she didn’t realize menopause could affect her eyes.
The 57-year-old actor, who has been speaking publicly about hormonal health for years, opened up in a recent interview that eye-related symptoms weren’t something she initially expected during menopause.
“The eyes remained difficult,” Watts said People. She explained that she didn’t realize that declining estrogen levels could contribute to dehydration and discomfort.
Watts also said her focus on eye health started in childhood. She needed glasses when she was young but avoided wearing them because she felt self-conscious.
She added that regular eye exams were not common when she was growing up in the 1970s, but as an adult she now prioritizes routine checkups for herself and her two children, Sasha and Kai.
Watts, who spoke more openly about her perimenopause and menopause symptoms, also revealed that her menopause experience started earlier than expected.
She said she was trying to start a family at age 36 when she was told she was close to menopause.
The news, she said, left her feeling unprepared and isolated. Although she later had two children, she experienced intense symptoms afterward. She later learned that early menopause runs in her family.
Watts also said the link between hormones and eye problems had not been explained to her during previous discussions about menopause.
