Women And Vision Loss: What You Need To Know 
Everyone sees the world’s beauty from a different perspective. Unfortunately, women stand a far greater risk of developing eye conditions, which may prevent them from seeing this beauty at all.
How much greater is a woman's risk of permanent vision loss? The numbers may surprise you.
Blindness Affects Twice As Many Women As Men
According to a recent study, two thirds of all blindness and visual impairment occurs in women. And even though eye disease is more prevalent in women, 75 percent of visual impairment is preventable with proper education and care.
Dry eye disease, cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma are all diseases which affect women at a higher rate than men. Although there are no cures for these diseases, there are steps that you or the women in your life can take to prevent the risk of disease and maintain clear, healthy vision.
Early Detection Is Key To Prevention
Many eye diseases don’t present noticeable symptoms until they become quite advanced. For the best chance of effective treatment, early detection is key—for both men and women.
Here are a few important steps you can take to protect your vision health:
- Get a dilated eye exam. This can help us get a better look at possible warning signs of conditions that can impair your vision.
- Avoid smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke. If you do smoke, take steps now to kick the habit.
- Identify eye disease in your family’s medical history. An accurate family medical history can help your optometrist better detect risk factors for eye disease in you and your immediate family.
- If you’re an expectant mother, get a dilated eye exam and be aware of possible vision changes during pregnancy.
- Wear sunglasses and a brimmed hat outdoors to block UV rays. Increased exposure to the sun can put our eyes at risk for macular degeneration, cataracts, and other serious conditions.
- Use cosmetics and contact lenses safely and thoughtfully. Makeup can leave deposits on your lenses, affecting your vision and even the comfort of your lenses.
Get A Dilated Eye Exam Every Year
A recent survey found that one in four women had not received an eye exam in the past two years. Getting a dilated eye exam every year, as recommended, could save your sight! Routine eye exams can even reveal conditions that can affect your whole body—including diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
We Can Help Protect Your Sight
Our Vision Source® optometrists are committed to not only ensuring your lifelong vision health but your overall health, as well. If you have any questions about your risk for eye disease, or if you have questions about the risks of a loved one, feel free to schedule an appointment! As your lifelong vision partner, we would love to provide you with the information you need to continue to lead a happy and healthy life.
Thank you for being our valued patient and friend!
Find a Vision Source® practice near you using our search tool.
Top image by Flickr user Larry Jacobsen used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original. The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.