---
title: Does hormonal change affect how eyes see light and color? | Niyora
description: In one woman with PMS, hormone changes during the menstrual cycle affected her ability to see blue colors, with changes up to 1.4 log units. When she started
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/visual-sensitivity-across-the-menstrual-cycle-2004/
---

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- Does hormonal change affect how eyes see light and color?

Case-control study, 2004

# Does hormonal change affect how eyes see light and color?

In one woman with PMS, hormone changes during the menstrual cycle affected her ability to see blue colors, with changes up to 1.4 log units. When she started birth control, this pattern changed. Most other women did not show clear cyclic changes.

 Early or limited evidence

7 women (4 not using hormonal medication, 3 using triphasic oral contraceptive; 1 with PMS in both groups)

## What they did

Measured how well 7 women could see light and different colors across several menstrual cycles. Four women were not using hormonal birth control and three were using a triphasic oral contraceptive. One woman with PMS was tested in both groups.

## What they found

One woman (with PMS) had clear cyclic changes in her ability to see blue colors. Her sensitivity was highest near ovulation and lowest before her period, with changes up to about 1.4 log units. The rate of sensitivity loss with brighter backgrounds was greater before her period. When this woman started birth control, the pattern changed. The other five subjects did not show clear cyclic changes in blue vision, though one showed limited cyclic changes in other color pathways.

## What it means for you

Hormones may affect vision in some women, but the effects vary widely. The sample is very small, so we cannot know how common this is or whether it matters in daily life.

7

women studied

1

woman with clear menstrual-related vision changes

1.4 log units

maximum change in blue-cone sensitivity

## About the study

Original title Visual sensitivity across the menstrual cycle Authors Eisner A, Burke SN, Toomey MD Journal Visual neuroscience Year 2004 Study design Case-control study What was tested Oral contraceptive in some participants Read the paper [doi.org/10.1017/s0952523804214031](https://doi.org/10.1017/s0952523804214031)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)

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