Gender Eye Health – Why Women Should Pay Attention

April 1, 2010

In the United States – Of the roughly 1.1 million legally blind people, over 700,000 are women. Of the roughly 3.4 million visually impaired people, over 2 million are women.

Globally – Nearly 2/3rds of people who are blind or visually impaired are women and girls.

Why are women nearly twice as likely to lose their vision as men, and what can we do to reduce blinding diseases in women?

It has been suggested that this disparity between men and women is due to longevity, smoking, nutrition and environmental factors and in some poverty stricken countries, infectious disease and lack of access to health services may contribute to the statistics.

Longevity – Women tend to live longer than men, and along with age come many related eye problems. Diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts, typically associated with age, can be slowed or prevented though, with proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. For example, smoking is a proven risk factor for these very same eye diseases.

Environmental Factors – Of the common eye diseases, dry eye syndrome, autoimmune diseases and certain forms of cataracts are intrinsically more prevalent in women than in men. According to “Prevent Blindness America” of all the people who have dry eye, 90% are women. The good news is that three quarters of blindness or vision loss is either preventable or treatable. Women can decrease their chances of vision loss by practicing a healthy lifestyle and having a regular eye exam each year.

Infectious Disease/Lack of Health Care – In some countries, limited access to health care and therefore untreated infectious disease, leads to a greater prevalence of blindness and visual impairment in women.

What does this mean? It means; women pay attention to your eyes! It is never too early to start regular eye exams. Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising and not smoking are just a few things women can do to maintain their vision.

For more information on eye disease, visit; www.pablind.org or call the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind at 717-766-2020.