WHY ARE WOMEN MORE LIKELY TO HAVE PROBLEMS?
When you think of the differences between men and women, vision and eye health are probably not on the list.
Women make up nearly two-thirds of all visually impaired and blind people in the world. They are prone to having eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, Diabetic Eye Disease, Thyroid Eye Disease, Dry Eye, blurry vision during pregnancy, and eye infections brought on by poor makeup hygiene.
The good news is that most eye problems can be treated if caught early.
1. Longer Life expectancy:
Averagely, longer than men and the longer a woman lives, the more likely she will be at risk of developing eye conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and dry eye syndrome.
2. Hormones:
Women experience a remarkable amount of hormonal fluctuation throughout their lifespan. Puberty, pregnancy, and menopause all cause surges of estrogen, which can affect vision. Taking birth control pills also can cause visual symptoms.
3. Medications:
In almost every society around the world, women take more medication than their male counterparts. This includes both prescription and over-the-counter medications. What many don’t know is that several of these medications can pose significant risks to your eye health and vision especially when taken for an extended period of time.
4. Auto Immune DIsorders:
An autoimmune disease occurs when the body’s own immune system backfires and attacks the body’s own tissue. While the exact reason is still unclear, it is well documented that women have far more autoimmune diseases than men.
Some common autoimmune disorders that impact eye health include rheumatoid arthritis, Sjorgen’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and Graves’ disease (hyperthyroidism). These can cause symptoms like dry and red eyes, foreign-body sensation, pain, changes in vision, and sometimes vision loss.
5. Poor Make Up Hygeine:
Using eye makeup wrongly can lead to eye irritation or eye infection and dry eye. To help prevent those problems, make sure you remove your makeup before going to bed and apply eye make up correctly.
6. Forgetting to schedule your own appointments:
A lot of women get so wrapped up in looking after the health needs of their families that they forget to take care of their own. If you’re a busy mom, don’t forget to schedule your own appointments too.
*WHAT CAN WOMEN DO TO PRESERVE THEIR EYE HEALTH*
To set yourself up for success:
✓ Lead a healthy lifestyle and Active Lifestyle to prevent chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes.
✓ Eat a nourishing and varied diet.
✓ Keep good makeup hygiene by taking off makeup around your eye completely before going to bed.
✓ Throw liquid eyeliner and mascara every 3 months because they breed bacteria ( buy in small tubes so you can easily discard).
✓ Never Share Make Up.
✓ If you work with digital screens, remember to take breaks.
✓ Wear quality UV sunglasses outside.
✓ Have regular eye exams at least once in 2 years or as advised and keep to Doctors’ recommendation.
✓ Follow a healthy diet, rich in leafy greens and antioxidants to help protect the eye.