Women's eye health deserves special attention





Some of the statistics showing that women are at a higher risk of certain vision-threatening conditions depend on the living conditions and access to health care of the population being studied. Nevertheless, other eye conditions such as dry eye syndrome, autoimmune diseases related to the eyes and cataracts are inherently more prevalent in women than men. Furthermore, women are more at risk for diseases associated with age, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), since they statistically live a few years longer than men.





In general, women are less likely than men to sustain an eye injury during their lifetime, but the unfortunate trade off is being more susceptible to various eye diseases.

Women tend to need glasses more than men, and they are more prone to developing chronic dry eye. If you’re struggling with symptoms like irritation, blurred vision, pain, and redness in your eyes, it could be dry eye. Eye drops help in the short term, but if it doesn’t go away, it’s time to schedule appointment.with an eye specialist





Sight-threatening conditions that more women are diagnosed with than men are glaucoma age-related macular degeneration. Don’t get too worried, though; the reason for this is simply that women tend to live longer than men, and the best way to fight these diseases is early detection through regular eye exams.





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Pregnancy.

Carrying a baby takes a toll on the entire body and puts an expectant mother at risk for conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and migraine headaches. These conditions can put excess strain on the blood vessels of the eyes. Being pregnant can cause dry eye, puffy eyelids and even refractive changes in the eyesight, which can be temporary or permanent.





Hormones.

More than 3 million women have dry eye, compared to only 1.5 million men. Dry eye is a common condition after menopause, and women who experience premature menopause are even more at risk to experience eye surface damage from dry eye. This may also be why women are more at risk for degenerative eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.





Nutrition.

Women’s bodies go through so many changes during pregnancy and menopause, they can become deficient in vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients. Eating a well-balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, fiber, and whole grains is essential for good eye health. Eventually, women are so consumed with taking care of others that they may neglect their own well-being without even knowing it.





Things women should know about eye health:

More women than men are at risk for vision loss from eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.





More than 3 million women and more than 1.5 million men have dry eye. Dry eye is more common after menopause and women who experience menopause prematurely are more likely to have eye surface damage from dry eye.





Cataracts are when the lens of the eye becomes clouded causing vision loss and eventually blindness if not treated. Nevertheless, treatment for the condition, which is usually a minor surgery, is very common and highly successful. An age-related condition, more than half of North Americans age 65 and older have at least one cataract. While longer life expectancy is a factor, women also have been found to be intrinsically more at risk for developing cataracts.





While it is likely that most people that live long enough will eventually develop a cataract, there are a few things that can increase your chances such as smoking, and possibly diet and sun exposure. If you have diabetes, maintaining proper blood sugar levels might play a role in prevention. Scheduling a yearly, comprehensive eye exam is the best way to catch and treat cataracts early to prevent vision loss.





Keeping a healthy lifestyle also helps keep the eyes healthy, including exercising regularly, not smoking and following a healthy diet.





Dry eye disease is a condition in which the eye does not create enough lubricating tear film to keep the surface moist and comfortable. While it doesn’t lead to blindness, dry eye can cause severe suffering and affect quality of life. It can also increase the chances of infection and impair visual acuity leading to decreased ability to read and drive, particularly at night. The condition is most common in middle aged and older adults, particularly women and is one of the leading causes of visits to the eye doctor.





Severe dry eye is sometimes caused by Sjögren’s syndrome, which is a chronic, multi-organ autoimmune disorder that also results in dry mouth and often arthritis, which is much more common in women.





Dry eye disease is intrinsically 2-3 times more common in women than in men, which may be may be because of hormonal differences, and the use of birth control can result in increased dry eye as well.





There are a number of treatments available for dry eyes, including artificial tear solutions, ointments, anti-inflammatories and sometimes inserting tear duct plugs.





More women are caregivers.

Women often make the majority of their family’s health care decisions.

In addition to being responsible for their own health, women are often responsible as caregivers for the health care choices of their children, partners, spouses and aging parents. A woman making her vision health a priority positively impacts those around her, including those that depend on her care.





Pregnancy can cause vision changes including refractive changes, dry eyes, and puffy eyelids.

Expectant mothers may also experience vision effects from diabetes, migraine headaches, and high blood pressure. Glaucoma medications such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors can be harmful to the developing baby. All pregnant women should discuss all medications and any changes in their vision immediately with their doctor.





Give your eyes a rest.

In the event that you invest a great deal of energy at the PC or concentrating on any a certain something, you once in a while neglect to squint and your eyes can get exhausted. Attempt the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, turn away around 20 feet before you for 20 seconds. This can help lessen eye fatigue.





Stop smoking or never begin.

Smoking is as terrible for your eyes all things considered for whatever is left of your body. Research has connected smoking to an expanded danger of creating age-related macular degeneration, waterfall, and optic nerve harm, all of which can prompt blindness.ii,iii





Be cool and wear your shades.

Shades are an extraordinary design adornment, however their most vital activity is to shield your eyes from the sun's bright beams. When acquiring shades, search for ones that shut out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-An and UV-B radiation.





Clean your hands and your contact lenses properly.

To stay away from the danger of disease, dependably wash your hands completely before putting in or taking out your contact focal points. Reach focal points as trained and supplant them as fitting.





Practice work environment eye well being.

Bosses are required to give a sheltered workplace. At the point when defensive eye wear is required as an aspect of your responsibilities, make a propensity for wearing the fitting kind consistently and urge your associates to do likewise.





Being a woman is a risk factor no one can control, and another is age, but there are ones that we can do something about. The most important is neglect. In the hustle and bustle of making sure the rest of the family gets all the appointments they need, many women forget that their eye health needs attention too. Don’t forget to schedule your own eye exams!





What Your Eye Specialist Can Do As eye health specialist, they encourage all their patients to be proactive in looking after the health of the eyes. Some important things you can all do is eat nutritious foods, avoid smoking, and schedule those regular eye exams. However, if you’re noticing any changes in your vision, don’t wait months for that regular appointment to come around.

Other reasons cited were transportation issues and simply being “too busy” to make an appointment. Many of the women's eye health problems may be lessened through early detection and treatment. A recent online survey on behalf of Prevent Blindness found, however, that 1 in 4 women had not received an eye exam in the past two years. Cost was cited as the number one reason for both those who did and did not have vision insurance.Other reasons cited were transportation issues and simply being “too busy” to make an appointment.

Above all else, the most important things is, no matter what age, is to get a complete eye exam by an eye health specialist,



There are a number of specific eye diseases, many of which cause vision impairment, that are more prevalent in women. Part of the reason for this is that women tend to live longer than men. These risks are exacerbated by often avoidable behavioral and environmental conditions such as smoking, poor diet and nutrition, a sedentary lifestyle and sun exposure to name a few.here may be an explanation for why women suffer from blindness and eye disease more than men.