While it’s important for everyone to take care of their eyes by scheduling regular eye exams, it’s especially important if you’re a woman. Why? Well for one thing, research shows that two thirds of all people who are blind or visually impaired are women.
If that’s not convincing enough, here are other reasons why women should take extra care of their eyes:
Living longer puts women at greater risk for age-related eye diseases. Most eye experts agree that as women age, they are more likely to develop eye diseases that can rob them of their eyesight, including:
• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which can lead to distorted vision and blind spots
• Diabetic retinopathy which is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina, and is the leading cause of blindness in American adults.
• Dry eye syndrome, when your eyes don’t produce enough tears
• The effects of pregnancy on eyesight. In recent years, the American Optometric Association has emphasized the importance of eye care during pregnancy. This is because pregnancy can bring on certain conditions that can affect a woman’s eyesight, such as: diabetes and high blood pressure (in a pregnant woman, these conditions can often be diagnosed by a thorough eye exam even before an obstetrician tests for them), and hormonal changes. Increased hormone levels during pregnancy can affect a woman’s eyesight, though vision usually returns to normal within nine months after giving birth.
Having a thorough eye exam is the first step toward taking good care of your eyesight.
