What vision issues are unique to women?

 

It is important to prioritise women’s eye health despite other daily concerns. Women can be impacted by issues like blurry vision during pregnancy and eyes infections due to poor makeup hygiene and other potential eye disorders like thyroid eye disease, vision loss. There are several reasons for which women’s eye care should be given special attention. It is accounted that two-thirds of all visual impairment and blindness are affected by women. Factors like longer life expectancy than men, age-related hormonal changes and autoimmune conditions are all reasons for visual side effects.

 

The month of April is designated as the Women's Eye Health and Safety Awareness month to create public awareness about vision deterioration and loss faced by women all over the world. A few precautions can go a long way in preserving eye health and preventing the risk of vision loss in women due to several issues. Dr Shalini Jain, an eye specialist at the best eye hospital near me says that women should be provided more awareness of the importance of eye care. Women are more likely to skip regular exams or have less access to the best eye clinic near me due to family concerns or to taking care of others. Women should be aware of symptoms like light flashes, distorted vision or floaters which can be signs of serious retinal conditions. Early detection of most eye diseases helps prevent vision loss.

 

Prevalent Eye Diseases

 

Women experience more age-related eye diseases and have higher rates of vision loss as they live longer than men. Women are at higher risk of affected prevalent eye disorders like cataracts, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome and macular degeneration.

 

Cataracts - Aging adults are mostly affected by cataracts where the lens is clouded to affect the vision. Women who are 80 years and older are at higher risk of cataracts or have already had them surgically removed.

 

Glaucoma - Women who have a first degree relative with glaucoma are more likely to develop glaucoma which damages the optic nerve to cause blindness and vision loss. Women with diseases like diabetes and hypertension are also at higher risk of developing glaucoma.

 

Dry Eye Syndrome - Dry eye syndrome is a common and chronic condition that is typically found in older adults where the eye doesn’t produce enough quality or volume of tears to lubricate the eye.

 

Macular Degeneration - Macular degeneration is the deterioration of the macula, in which the central area of the retina deteriorates. Smokers including second-hand smokers are up to seven times more at risk of developing macular degeneration than non-smokers.

 

Common Risks in Women’s Eye

 

Women who are especially nearing their 50s should prioritise protection from vision problems. Women should be aware of common risks to eye health and decrease the chances of becoming a victim of age-related eye problems.

 

Pregnancy-related eye problems

 

Women are more at risk of vision problems due to the profound shift of menopause and due to the retention of fluids the cornea changing in shape and blurring the vision during pregnancy. The retinas can be damaged due to preeclampsia which is reported in five per cent of pregnancies and elevated eye problems.

 

Women’s eyes along with every tissue and organ will be affected by mild hormonal changes during pregnancy. This could impact a change in the shape of the cornea thus causing a change to the glass prescription. The vision may become temporarily blurry due to hormonal fluctuations and also results in greater light sensitivity which causes headaches or make migraine headaches even worse.

 

Hormone-related eye disorders

 

Women can also experience eye problems influenced by hormonal changes and auto-immune diseases. Women’s vision can be significantly impacted by hormonal changes throughout their life. Female hormones like estrogen have a crucial role in retaining the flexibility of the cornea in order to focus light better.

 

A drop in estrogen level impacts with reduced production of lubrication by meibomian glands, thus leading to dry eyes and blurry vision. Women with an overactive thyroid can experience eye issues such as bulging, sensitivity to light, dry eyes, double vision, redness and inflammation of the conjunctiva. A significant drop in thyroid hormone can lead to hypothyroidism which can cause eyelids to droop.

 

Eye Problems caused by Diabetics

 

Women with diabetes are 50 times more at risk of developing eye disorders than those without diabetes. Diabetic macular oedema, cataracts and glaucoma are the disorders that mostly affect women with diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy which is a diabetic eye disease that is one of the leading causes of blindness is more common in people with type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes. People who have diabetes for a longer time will be at higher risk of getting diabetic eye disease.

 

How can you reduce your risk?

 

Women should adopt a healthy lifestyle for their overall health which includes vision health. Women should exercise regularly and ensure a balanced diet, rich in leafy vegetables and beta carotene-rich food like carrots, squash, sweet potatoes and omega-3 rich foods like fish and flaxseeds which will help in their vision health. Getting your eyes routinely checked by the doctor is important for ensuring the health of the vision. In most cases, an on-time diagnosis can help in preventing the risk of eye damage, especially to the optic nerve which can lead to permanent vision loss. Getting a regular eye exam by an eye specialist gives you the added benefit of detecting health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure.

 

You should not forget to make an appointment with the best eye doctor near me especially if you notice any changes in the vision or are concerned about vision or have been diagnosed with tumours, vascular chronic diseases like elevated cholesterol, diabetes, vascular diseases, thyroid diseases, hypertension or autoimmune disease.