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Why Women Need to Keep a Watchful Eye on Eye Health

Sunday, October 15th, 2017, 2:13 am

Eye Disease Treatment Marion ILEye health. It is as important to our long-term quality of life as is our blood pressure or overall ability to maintain physical comfort. Most of us value our eyesight; and yet, the awareness about eye disease, and the potential for eye conditions that could impede our vision tends to simmer on the back burner, somewhere behind the gazillion plates we are spinning on a daily basis.

We are not here to lecture anyone about keeping up with eye exams. What we want to do in this blog is offer some insights into the importance of eye health. In particular, we feel that it’s necessary to discuss the risks that women face that men may not, at least not as much.

Research has discovered that there are conditions that may affect women more commonly than men. There are a few eye diseases that make this list. Because there is the potential for serious consequences, there is a reason for women to know their risks and, better yet, how to reduce them as much as possible. The eye conditions that are statistically higher in women than men include:

  • Presbyopia and other refractive errors.
  • Dry eye syndrome.
  • Low vision and blindness.
  • Age-related macular degeneration.
  • Cataracts.
  • Glaucoma.

The Factors Women Face

The fact that women are more susceptible to certain health conditions, including the mentioned eye diseases, doesn’t boil down to bad luck – or bad genetics – it’s a matter of a few simple factors. First, women just live longer. The more years a person lives, the more they may encounter. But that’s not the end of the story. Research suggests that women are also more prone to autoimmune conditions and, as these diseases of the immune system cause widespread inflammation, they are linked to certain eye diseases. Finally, hormones; ah, hormones! The decline of estrogen and other sex hormones has been associated with dry eye and other ocular conditions.

Steps Women Can Take

These days, healthcare is as much a proactive way of living as it is the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Women can protect their eyes, and their bodies, with healthy habits such as abundant consumption of leafy greens and healthy fats, the avoidance of cigarette-smoking, and with yearly ophthalmic eye exams.

We would love to see you in our Marion, IL office, where we can help you understand your eye health. Call 618-993-5686.

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Category: Eye Care, Eye Condition


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