April is Woman’s Eye Health & Safety Month
No one should take their vision for granted, but women need to be especially careful when it comes to eye health. Blindness and other conditions which cause visual impairment take a much more serious toll on women than men. In fact, two-thirds of all blind or visually-impaired people in the world are women.
Cataracts, which result when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, are the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Certain types of cataracts, specifically the kind that affects the outside of the lens, are seen more often in women.
Trachoma can cause corneal scarring and if left untreated may lead to blindness. 75 to 85 % of people with trachoma are women. This disease is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness and also the most preventable cause of blindness.
Dry eye syndrome can lead to corneal scarring and vision loss. It is often linked to autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren’s syndrome. This is a chronic disease in which white blood cells attack the moisture-producing glands. The hallmark symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth. It is one of the most prevalent autoimmune disorders.
Since most autoimmune diseases are seen in women, female hormones probably play a role, but it is not yet clear how this works.
Because women tend to live longer, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that blurs central vision and can lead to vision loss in both eyes, and diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that affects the retina and can cause blindness, become issues for woman to contend with.
Lifestyle choices may also play a role. It is now known that the same risk factors that cause premature death, such as smoking and obesity cause eye disease as well.
A yearly eye exam is recommended, especially for women over the age of 50. Women in their forties should have their eyes checked every two to four years. Women between the ages of 18 and 39 should have their eyes checked at least once a year and follow the doctor’s advice on the need for additional exams, if any.
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