Preventing Vision Loss
Women are at greater risk than men for vision loss from eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration, as well as a condition common after menopause called dry eye. While more than 75% of visual impairment is estimated to be preventable or correctable, about 60% of eye disease and blindness occurs in women. While these numbers may reflect the fact that women tend to live longer than men, loss of vision at any age can lead to a decrease in quality of life.
Normal aging causes some changes in the eyes. As the eyes age, tear production decreases leading to uncomfortable, dry eyes. The eye lens loses elasticity and hardens making focusing on near objects more difficult. Aging may cause the lens to become opaque or cloudy, developing cataracts which can block and impair vision. Glaucoma is caused by a blockage in the drainage of eye fluid, damaging the optic nerve if not treated. Glaucoma screening is why it’s important to have regular eye exams over age 50. The appearance of floaters increases with age and is usually benign, but any symptoms of light flashes or immediate loss of part of the visual field should be immediately evaluated.
There are several lifestyle choices that can reduce the risk of eye disease and vision loss. Many of these risk factors are the same as those for premature death due to heart disease or cancer. The most important controllable behavior is not smoking. There is strong evidence that smoking is a causative factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, and other eye diseases. In fact, smoking is the only thing besides advancing age that has been clearly related to AMD, which causes loss of sight. Maintaining a healthy body weight is important for eyesight, as being overweight can lead to type-2 diabetes and related eye disease. A healthy diet containing carotenoids and other antioxidants may help protect people from getting AMD and cataracts, and is certainly beneficial for general health.
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