Women make up the majority of the 4.4 million Americans aged 40 and older who are visually impaired or blind. To raise awareness about eye diseases and encourage women to care for and protect their vision, Prevent Blindness, the nation’s oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization, has designated the month of April as Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month.*

Women at higher risk for eye conditions

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), women experience more instances and types of eye disorders than men do. 

Women make up:

• 66% of people who are blind
• 65% of people with macular degeneration
• 63% of people with vision impairment
• 61% of people with glaucoma
• 61% of people with cataracts
• 56% of people with refractive error

This is largely because women tend to:

• Live longer
• Are more likely to receive cancer treatments that can affect vision
• Are more likely to experience age-related hormonal changes that may affect their eyes

Women are also more susceptible than men to dry eye syndrome and autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, and hyperthyroidism—all of which can affect vision. Even pregnancy and menopause can cause significant visual changes.

Recommendations for protecting eye health and vision

Some steps that you can take in your daily life to nurture and protect your eye health and vision include:

• Get regular eye exams.
• Follow a healthy diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Quit smoking if a smoker.
• Ask your doctor about complementary nutritional supplements.
• Wear UV-blocking sunglasses and a brimmed hat when outdoors.
• Educate yourself about any family history of eye disease.
• Use eye cosmetics safely.
• Use contact lenses as prescribed.

Expectant mothers, especially those with gestational diabetes, should also be aware of possible vision changes. All women who are pregnant (or planning to become pregnant) and have been diagnosed with diabetes should get full, dilated eye exams. If the cost of vision care is an issue, Prevent Blindness offers a free listing of financial assistance services in both English and Spanish.

Online resources on women’s eye health

To help promote eye health and protection, Prevent Blindness has created the website

See Jane See: Women’s Healthy Eyes Now, which provides free articles, videos, downloadable factsheets, and links to resources on a wide variety of topics related to women’s eye health.

Some such topics include:

• Eye diseases
• Smoking and vision
• Cosmetics safety
• Vision changes during pregnancy
• HIV/AIDS and eye health

“We encourage both men and women to seek regular eye care, not just when they notice a change in vision, but to check for signs of eye disease,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “By making vision a priority today, we can help protect our sight in the years to come.”

*Prevent Blindness. (2019, Mar. 20). Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month. https://preventblindness.org/because-women-have-unique-vision-issues-prevent-blindness-declares-april-as-womens-eye-health-and-safety-month/