CHICAGO—Women have higher rates of eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration than men. In addition, women tend to have a higher rate prevalence of dry eye, and may often deal with vision changes related to both pregnancy and menopause. Women deal with greater instances of eye disorders, according to the National Eye Institute, in part, due to the fact that they tend to live longer than men, are more likely to undergo cancer treatments which affect vision, and experience age-related hormonal changes that can affect the eyes.

The Academy of Ophthalmology is also encouraging women to be more mindful of their eye health, noting that women are more susceptible to autoimmune diseases than men are—and many of those autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus, affect vision.

Because women’s vision care needs are unique, Prevent Blindness has dedicated April to educating women about these issues, and providing resources and recommendations on the best ways to take care of women’s vision. OCuSOFT, Inc., a long-time Prevent Blindness partner, will support Women’s Eye Health And Safety Awareness Month with a donation to Prevent Blindness.

 
Dr. Teske and Associates Facebook page
Eye Appeal Optical Facebook page

Prevent Blindness suggests some steps that women can take to help protect their eye health, including getting regular eye exams. The organization also posts a range of helpful tools and facts for eyecare professionals to share with patients, in face-to-face meetings as well as via social media.Some ECPs have already started.

  
 Eyes Focused on You website
ABB Optical Facebook page

Jeff Todd, Prevent Blindness president and CEO, said, “More women than men have eye disease and vision loss. But there are steps they can take today to help prevent significant vision loss in the future. In addition to getting a regular eye exam, we encourage everyone to talk to their eyecare professional about family medical history as well as ask for recommendations about proper eye protection in order to keep eyes as healthy as possible for years to come.”