Women prone to sight problems

Globally, nearly two-thirds of all visually impaired and blind people in the world are women. With the likelihood higher for females they need to be extra vigilant with their eye care.

Women typically live longer than men and there are eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration that are specific to the aging process according to Joseph Masajjage an ophthalmologist at Boss Optical Centre.

Some eye conditions such as dry eye syndrome that are more prevalent in women are caused by hormonal changes. This is because women go through various hormonal changes throughout their lives; from menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. These often impact their vision.

Pregnancy
According to Dr Joseph Nsengiyumva, a gynaecologist at Bethany Women’s Hospital in Luzira, pregnancy affects your sight owing to changes in hormones, metabolism, fluid retention and blood circulation.
“For example, water retention may cause the thickness and curvature of the cornea of the eye to increase slightly.

Expectant mothers may also experience vision effects from migraine headaches, diabetes and high blood pressure,” he says.
He adds that glaucoma medications can be harmful to the developing baby. It is, therefore, important that all pregnant women discuss any changes in vision immediately with their ophthalmologist.

Better eye health
It is important that you check out your family history to assess your risk to sight problems. If your immediate relatives have such a problem, your risk increases. You, therefore, should be vigilant with your eye care.
Masajjage advises that you get a comprehensive eye exam from your ophthalmologist.

“During an eye exam, the doctor does not only determine the health of your eyes, but can quickly track any changes especially if you have family history of eye disease. The eye doctor will also determine your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses check your eyes for common eye diseases, assess how your eyes work and evaluate your eyes as an indicator of your overall health.”
He recommends a comprehensive eye exam every one to two years, depending on your age, risk factors and whether you currently wear corrective lenses or not.

Lifestyle factors
The health of your eyes is also dependent on your lifestyle. Watching your weight and your diet is important because being overweight or obese and not eating healthy foods can affect vision.
“Eating oily and junk foods exposes you to medical conditions such as diabetes, strokes and high blood pressure which greatly impact vision. It is advisable to increase vitamins such as omega-3, vitamin A, vitamin C and zinc to boost your overall health and eye health,” he says.

Smoking increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy and Dry Eye Syndrome.
If you are working on a computer, watching television or using the phone, try to reduce the light and look away from the screen every after 30 minutes and focus your eyes on something that is distant for about two minutes.

Masajjage says, “Blinking is an excellent way to relax your eyes. It helps grease your eyes, clean them and get a break from light. With lack of sufficient blinking, your eyes become dry, inflamed and could lead to poor vision.”
While you work, blink for at least a minute, rotate your eyeballs left to right or close your eyes and keep calm to help relieve tension.