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Women’s Eye Health
The majority of people who are blind are women! This is partly because women live longer than men so they are exposed to more serious age-related diseases that can result in blindness. However, many women don’t realize how important regular eye examinations are for detecting eye diseases like glaucoma. Hormonal changes throughout a woman’s lifetime can also affect how well her eyes function.
Prevention
Get regular eye exams, particularly if:
- You are over the age of 40
- You have diabetes or an autoimmune disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, lupus erythematosus)
- You have a family history of eye disease, for example, glaucoma
Know the symptoms
Contact an eye doctor immediately if you have any of the following eye symptoms:
- Redness and fluid discharge
- Loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Persistent eye pain
- Double vision
- Flashing lights or objects that appear to float in your vision, such as small black spots or small fluffy objects resembling cobwebs
Protect yourself
- Good diet and frequent exercise result in optimum body weight and prevent type II diabetes, which can result in eye-related illnesses.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking increases your risk for eye-related illnesses.
- Wear sunglasses to prevent damage from harmful UV rays.
- Wear protective eyewear for sports and risky work activities involving grinding or exposure to chemicals.
Finding additional information
On the Web
Women’s Eye Health
www.womenseyehealth.org
National Women’s Health Report: Women and Eye Health at Midlife. October 2003 available at http://find articles.com
Article published in “You and your Health – A woman’s guide”
submitted by Dr. Mary Lou Riederer
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