Women’s eye health requires special care and attention. For more Eye Skincare Tips Click here.
According to Prevent Blindness, an organization focused on promoting sight-saving programs, women are more likely to suffer from eye problems than men because of the following reasons:
- Women have a longer life expectancy, putting them at higher risk for diseases like glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration.
- Women are more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases, which usually come with vision problems.
- Women suffer from age-related hormonal changes that can cause vision problems, such as dry eyes.
Despite these risks, a significant percentage of the women’s population doesn’t receive eye exams for over two years at a time. You should take the time to make sure that you are safeguarding your eyes properly because they are essential to your daily life. Through routine eye exams, eye professionals can identify injuries and visual problems in addition to identifying eye disorders and deformities. Regular exams can find early indications of diabetes, high blood pressure, malignancies, and other health issues in addition to eye health. Using specialized eye solutions based on your unique requirements, the eye specialists at Drdorioeyecare will monitor and treat your visual issues.
Only a few understand that they have a higher risk of developing eye problems than men. You may be unaware of DME symptoms, such as blurred vision, double vision, eye floaters, and other discomforting symptoms. Luckily, there are ways to help protect and improve your eye health and minimize the risk of visual impairment.
From visiting your eye doctor regularly to buying the right women’s sunglasses online in the UAE, here are five eye care habits every woman should practice.
1. Get an annual comprehensive eye exam
Your annual visit to your eye doctor is meant to accomplish more than just vision correction.
Eye care professionals are on the lookout for vision problems so you can benefit from the early detection of certain diseases. Moreover, a comprehensive eye exam can detect over 25 medical conditions, such as health illnesses and diabetes. This is why getting an annual eye examination is both good for eye care and overall wellness.
A part of the comprehensive eye examination is the pupil dilation test.
Normally, pupils dilate to allow more light in or in response to different stimuli. During the exam, your doctor will administer eye drops to increase the size of the pupils on purpose so they can examine the health of the retina and optic nerve.
It is also through dilation that eye physicians can check for nerve tissue damage, unusual lens changes, leaking blood vessels, and any symptoms related to macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and other eye diseases.
Other routine eye tests can include the evaluation of color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, the curvature of the cornea, visual acuity, and eye muscle movement.
2. Maintain a healthy diet
Following a healthy diet can keep your vision intact and prevent several eye conditions. Severe eye problems can be avoided by including foods rich in different vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
Some of the best foods for the eyes include:
- Salmon and other fatty fish – These are rich in healthy fats known as omega-3 fatty acids that can significantly contribute to the retina’s health, visual development, and prevention of dry eyes.
- Almonds – Almonds contain vitamin E, which helps prevent the development of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Some good alternatives are hazelnuts, peanuts, and sunflower seeds.
- Dairy – Milk and yogurt contain vitamin A, which helps protect the cornea. Dairy products also contain zinc, which helps with cataract prevention and night vision. Choose dairy from grass-fed cows as these provide the most benefits.
- Eggs – Like dairy products, eggs contain vitamin A and zinc too. The yolks also contain lutein, which, according to a study, has a considerable role in preventing age-related macular degeneration through its inherent antioxidant properties and absorption of eye-damaging blue light.
- Carrots – These are rich in beta carotene that helps maintain moisture on the surface of the eyes and prevents several eye conditions.
- Kale – Known as a superfood by many, kale contains a lot of important nutrients, including the antioxidants zeaxanthin and lutein. Other vegetables rich in lutein are spinach and red peppers.
- Citrus fruits – These are rich in vitamin C, which contributes to the health of the blood vessels in the eyes.
A well-balanced diet is best attained by consuming different fruits, vegetables, dairy products and protein. Try to add many types of food in various colors. Most importantly, limit or avoid eating unhealthy foods or those that contain a lot of sugar and saturated fat.
3. Use protective eyewear
The type of eyewear you must have will depend on your visual needs and activities. Here are your options and how each can keep your vision sharp.
Prescription glasses
One of the primary reasons for wearing prescription glasses is when you are suffering fromnearsightedness (distant objects appear blurry) or farsightedness (nearby objects are blurry).Investing in prescription glasses will keep your vision in check.
Sunglasses
Wear sunglasses whenever you venture outside, especially under the extreme heat of the sun. The UV rays can damage your eyes, causing macular degeneration, cataracts, and even eye cancer.
You need to get a pair of sunglasses that can block at least 95 percent of both UVA and UVB rays. Though you may find a lot of sunglasses at convenience stores, nothing beats the efficiency of those from your eye doctor. The best optical shop can provide you with a pair of sunglasses that fits your visual needs.
Safety glasses
Protect your eyes when doing yard and house chores, working on a job that requires sparks, flying debris, or chemicals, or playing sports.
Safety glasses ensure you will have the necessary vision to support your depth perception, peripheral vision, and hand-eye coordination in sports, home, or work.
Computer glasses
With the latest advancements in technology, the world is using digital screens in smartphones, computers, tablets, LED lights, and LED televisions. But these devices emit blue light that can cause serious damage to your eyes.
Blue light creates glare as soon as it hits your eyes, negatively affecting your vision. It can also cause eyestrain, headaches, physical and mental fatigue, and even macular degeneration. Luckily, you can protect your eyes by wearing computer glasses. This protective eyewear will block out blue light and help you see clearly.
4. Use eye makeup safely
Eye makeup is a daily essential for most women. But it can cause damage to your vision if left on your face overnight.
Sleeping with your eye makeup can cause bacteria, and dirt to be trapped in your eyes. It can also clog your tear ducts. So make sure to remove it before going to bed.
Discard eye makeup that is past its expiration date to prevent eye infection, irritation, and allergic reactions. Also, avoid sharing your makeup with other people.
5. Sleep well
A good night’s sleep is vital for your eye health. Sleeping will help your eyes get the lubrication and moisture they need. Your eyes also remove irritants like allergens and dust that might have accumulated during the day when you sleep.
Studies have shown that the light-sensitive cells in the eyes help with the proper regulation of the wake-sleep cycle.
Though it is crucial to keep your eyes out of direct sunlight, exposing them to some natural light on a daily basis is beneficial to keeping your sleep-wake cycle on a regular schedule. Moreover, avoid using phones and computers before going to bed because blue light can disrupt sleep.
Since women are more prone to developing vision problems, knowing how to protect your vision today can save your sight for tomorrow.
Start by practicing all these eye care habits today!