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Prevent Blindness dedicates April to women’s eye health, safety
Prevent Blindness declared April as Women’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month in an effort to educate women about eye disease.
According to a press release from the group, women are more likely to be afflicted with an eye disease such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma. Additionally, women are at a higher risk for dry eye disease.
Due to hormonal balance changes, dry eye is prevalent in menopausal and postmenopausal women. However, women who are pregnant or on certain types of birth control can experience dry eye disease as well.
Sixty-three percent of those who are blind are women, and 62% of those visually impaired are also women, according to The Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Costs of Vision Problems, a study conducted by Prevent Blindness.
“We want to remind women of every age that the key to healthy vision in the future is taking care of the eyes today,” Prevent Blindness CEO and President Jeff Todd said in the release. “Wearing the proper eye protection, quitting smoking, eating healthy foods and talking to an eye care professional about any vision changes or changes in medications are just a few ways to help ensure a lifetime of healthy vision.”