Naomi Watts gets real about impact of menopause on her eyes

Naomi Watts says she didn’t realise menopause could affect her eyes.

The 57-year-old actor, who has spoken publicly for years about hormonal health, opened up in a recent interview that eye-related symptoms were not something she initially expected with menopause.

“The eyes just continued to be a strain,” Watts told People. She explained that she did not realise declining estrogen levels could contribute to dryness and discomfort.

Watts also shared that 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 weren’t common when she was growing up in the 1970s, but as an adult, she now prioritises routine checkups for herself and her two children, Sasha and Kai.

Watts, who has been speaking more openly about her perimenopause and menopause symptoms, also revealed her menopause experience began earlier than expected.

She said she was trying to start a family at 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 connection between hormones and eye issues was not explained to her during earlier discussions about menopause.