Elanor, it's so weird that you mention dry eye; my eyes have been crazy-dry for a couple of years. My eye doctor keeps telling me it's hormones. I asked if maybe it could be related to my severe, long-running iron deficiency (you know, since iron deficiency is associated with dry skin and hair too). He reiterated that it's probably hormones. Lo and behold, I joined an information/support group for iron-deficiency people elsewhere online, and it turns out that a lot of them struggle with dry eye... until their iron is fixed.

So frustrating that your doctors insisted it was in your head. I'm angry on your behalf. :(

And thank you for pointing out how this problem manifests systemically. Hopefully the more such stories men hear, the closer they will come to believing that it's not just in our heads...