Our eyes are a critical part of our lives, and they require periodic care and protection to stay healthy. In honor of Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month, here are five tips to keep your eyes in peak condition:
1. Get annual dilated eye examinations, even if you’re seeing well.
An eye exam not only will provide information about the health of your eyes, but it also provides a window into many undiagnosed vascular diseases.
2. Don’t smoke
Smoking makes everything worse, but it especially contributes to the onset and progression of macular diseases and cataracts.
3. Address dry eye
Most women ages 45 and above have experienced issues with dry eyes due to hormonal imbalances associated with menopause. Several types of lubrication drops are available over the counter, but in choosing one, avoid drops that advertise “get the red out,” as these do not get to the root of the problem and cause rebound redness. Choose “preservative-free” artificial tears and follow label directions. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements help produce a healthier tear and also assist with tear production, but check with your doctor before using them if you are taking blood thinners.
If these two over-the-counter remedies don’t resolve your symptoms, prescription drops and other medical therapies are available to help. Don’t suffer with dry eye disease. Talk to your doctor, as there are many remedies available.
4. Prevent technology-related eye strain
We forget to blink when we stare at a computer screen, and blinking is a key mechanism in producing tears. This decrease in tear production results in ocular discomfort and blurry vision. I recommend to my patients who have hours of screen time each day to keep a bottle of artificial tears by their computer and put a drop in before starting the workday, again at lunch and lastly when the workday ends.
Another simple exercise that helps is the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away and blink for 20 seconds. This will help produce tears and relax your focusing system from the fixed computer screen distance, preventing distance blur associated with prolonged screen time. Blue light filters and anti-reflective coatings on your glasses also are very useful for computer-related eye discomfort.
5. Consider options for lash growth and eyelid drooping
Women complain a lot about their eyelashes not growing and their upper eyelids drooping with age. There are some very effective over-the-counter products for eyelash growth, as well as prescription products. For age-related eyelid drooping, a new drop is available that may serve as a great alternative to eyelid surgery. Ask your eyecare provider about these options at your next visit.
DID YOU KNOW
Women are at greater risk for some eye diseases than men, recent studies show. On the whole, women have a higher prevalence of major vision problems, and two out of every three people living with blindness or vision problems are women, according to the National Eye Institute.
