Of the 45 million blind people worldwide, two-thirds are women (30 million) . Vision problems, in fact, affect the female audience more, and the reasons for this are diverse, including hormonal changes and high life expectancy. However, they can be treated – the earlier the diagnosis, the greater the chances of a cure .
Therefore, it is essential to pay due attention to the discomfort caused by eye diseases , such as difficulty in seeing, burning, itching, pain and redness. Diseases such as glaucoma, however, are silent in their early stages. For this reason, follow-up with the ophthalmologist should be regular.
In this article, I will explain why vision problems affect women the most and show which are the 5 eye diseases that most afflict them. Look!
Why do vision problems affect women more?
Vision problems in women are associated with different factors, such as sex hormones, medication use, genetics, the immune system and environmental conditions. Therefore, they require a careful diagnosis to apply the appropriate treatment. Hormonal changes, for example, affect the production of tears, giving rise to dry eye syndrome .
Another cause pointed to the appearance of eye diseases is the longer life expectancy compared to men. In this case, the illnesses affect the female public mainly after menopause . The most likely hypothesis is that cataracts and some types of glaucoma, for example, appear for genetic or hormonal reasons.
Vision problems can also appear during the pregnancy period . Gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia (increased blood pressure) are factors that contribute to the onset of eye diseases, such as blurred vision and dry eye syndrome. In some cases, there is also an increase in the refractive index in those who already have myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism .
That is not why women should change their glasses. You have to wait to see if the situation will return to normal after delivery. It is noteworthy that changes in the cornea are also frequent in this phase – they are sensitive and changes in thickness can occur. For this reason, there is a reaction when using contact lenses.
What are the most common eye diseases in women?
Find out below what are the vision problems that most affect women, the causes, symptoms and treatments!
- Dry eye syndrome
The production of tears is of fundamental importance to protect, lubricate and clean the eye region. When there is a lack of liquid or loss of quality, we say that the person suffers from dry eye syndrome . This is a vision problem that affects mainly elderly women.
In addition to age, the syndrome is associated with the use of antidepressant drugs, autoimmune diseases such as lupus, hormonal changes and problems arising from pregnancy. Environmental factors such as hot and dry weather, smoke and air conditioning also favor the disease.
Such illness causes dryness, itching, redness, burning and foreign body sensation in the eye . The treatment involves the use of ocular lubricants and also the change of habits, such as the control of temperature and environmental humidity. Monitoring with the ophthalmologist is essential to observe the effect of such measures.
- Glaucoma
The Glaucoma is characterized by increased intraocular pressure , and therefore, the optic nerve damage and visual field defects. Its origin is also related to inflammation and tumors in the eyes. The disease can lead to partial or total loss of vision, if not properly monitored and treated.
Symptoms mainly include eye and head pain and loss of visual field (difficulty reading, viewing objects and even walking alone). It is essential to see the doctor regularly, as they are not always felt at an early stage. Glaucoma should be treated with specific eye drops to decrease intraocular pressure or with surgery.
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
Observed after 50 years of age, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the central region of the retina (macula) due to the destruction of photoreceptors. Due to the condition, this eye disease causes progressive loss of vision. Environmental, metabolic, hereditary, genetic and hormonal factors are identified as causes of the problem.
Bad habits, such as excessive consumption of fats, smoking and excessive exposure to sunlight also contribute to the appearance of AMD. The most common symptoms of this type of eye disease are loss of central vision, deformity of the images and the perception of spots and smudges .
Macular degeneration has no cure, however, depending on the type, it can be treated by laser in order to clot the bleeding vessels present in the back of the eyes. Other possibilities are the application of intraocular injections of anti-VEGF, the use of vitamin supplements and surgical techniques (vitrectomy and implantation of an intraocular telescope).
- Cataract
Existing eye problems, the cataract is the leading cause of reversible blindness around the globe . It is a disease that affects the crystalline, natural lens of the eyes, making it opaque. For this reason, people afflicted with the disease gradually lose their sight.
In women, the origin of cataracts is associated with menopause, a period when estrogen circulation in the body is interrupted. This female hormone is responsible for blocking the production of C-reactive protein, which causes the disease. The problem is also due to exposure to ultraviolet rays and diabetes.
The main symptoms of cataracts are the progressive loss of vision, the decrease in sharpness at night, the faded perception of colors and blurred and blurred vision. In turn, treatment involves surgical intervention. Called phakectomy with phacoemulsification , it consists of the implantation of an intraocular lens.
- floaters
Dark spots that move in front of one or both eyes is a sign of what we call floaters. The disease arises due to the natural process of displacement of the vitreous, a gel that occupies the posterior cavity of the eyeball.
It is seen mainly after the age of 45 in patients with a history of myopia, due to inflammation or trauma to the eyes and eye treatment or surgery. Surgical intervention may be necessary to dissolve the spots in the eyes or replace the vitreous, depending on the severity.
Did you see what are the most frequent vision problems in women? So, do you know how much health is in your eyes ? To protect your eyes and prevent disease, it is essential to schedule appointments with the ophthalmologist regularly or any indication that something is wrong. Early diagnosis and treatment increase the chances of controlling or reversing the condition.
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