Women's Eye Health

Most women don’t know that they are more prone to eye diseases than men, thus we encourage all women, either yourself or those in your life to be proactive about having regular eye tests.

Factors such as fluctuating hormone levels during pregnancy and menopause are the main reasons for changes in a women’s eyesight, the good news is that early and consistent treatment for most eye diseases can significantly reduce the risk of vision loss.

Eye diseases women are most commonly at risk of include:

• Age-related Macular Degeneration
• Autoimmune Diseases (such as Lupus or Sjögren’s Syndrome)
• Cataracts  
• Dry Eye
• Glaucoma
• Low Vision
• Thyroid Eye Disease
• Refractive Error

Here are some ways that you can help to protect your eyes and save your eyesight:

• Know your family history of eye diseases and conditions, such as glaucoma.
• Protect your eyes from the sun by wearing 100% UV blocking sunglasses when outdoors.
• Quit smoking. Smoking is linked to the cause of several eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataracts.
• Consume a healthy diet with proper nutrition and special eye health supplements.
• Adhere to contact lens hygiene and safety.
• Your eye makeup contains bacteria that multiply over time and affects the eyes if used past its expiry date. It’s therefore advisable to change your eye makeup or at least clean the applicators thoroughly every three months.
• Protect your eyes against extended exposure to blue light from computers, smartphones and LED lamps.
• Be proactive by visiting a Spec-Savers optometrist to run the necessary tests needed to prevent eye and vision problems in the future.

If you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant – consult your Spec-Savers optometrist if you have pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or glaucoma. In women who have diabetes, diabetic retinopathy can accelerate quickly during pregnancy and can present a risk for the baby as well.

Women are also more susceptible to develop chronic dry eye, partially because it is often associated with other health issues that are more common in women such as ocular rosacea which is three times more prevalent in women.  

The most important way to prevent vision loss is to ensure you schedule regular eye tests. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear as many eye issues are painless and symptomless, and sometimes by the time you notice symptoms, vision loss is untreatable. Encourage the other women in your life to do so as well.