Women's Eye Health & Safety Month
March is Women's Eye Health & Safety Month. According to the National Eye Institute, two thirds of people living with blindness or vision problems are women. Women should pay close attention to their vision to stay on top of good eye health. Women are said to live longer than men, which makes them at higher risk to obtain macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts.
Autoimmune disease is also more prevalent in women than men. With autoimmune disease you can have visual side effects. During the aging process, women also experience hormonal changes which can affect your eyes as well. Dry eyes is usually something women get due to hormonal changes. These are just a few examples of eye conditions that affect women more than men.
Women are typically the care givers of the family and tend to put their own health on the back burner, because they are busy keeping up with loved ones' appointments. Keep your appointments for yourself to prevent vision loss and potential blindness. Keeping appointments enables you to be present and healthy, so you are able to care for others.
Here are a few ways to protect your vision:
• Get regular dilated eye exams. A dilated eye exam is a great way to catch early vision conditions. Catching these conditions early may prevent further vision loss or even blindness. Your doctor will discuss a safe schedule of regular dilated eye exams.
• Wear sunglasses to protect yourself from UVA and UVB radiation.
• Healthy Diet. A healthy eye diet includes dark and leafy greens, salmon, tuna and halibut fish to name a few.
• Wear eye protection. Wear goggles or safety glasses to keep your eyes safe during certain activities and playing sports.
• Get active and stay active. Activity reduces your risk of conditions that can lead to eye problems. A couple of examples include high blood pressure and diabetes.
• Quit Smoking. Smoking can worsen macular degeneration, cataracts and even glaucoma.
• Free Health screenings can also be offered throughout the year. Follow this link to read more about the Health & Wellness Expo offered every year in January