Hey moms! Did you know women are more susceptible than men to visual impairment and other conditions affecting eye health? Although women make up 53 percent of the population, 66 percent of blindness cases are suffered by women. Additionally, women account for 65 percent of age-related macular degeneration conditions, 63 percent of vision impairment cases, 61 percent of glaucoma cases, 61 percent of cataracts cases, and 56 percent of refractive error conditions, according to Prevent Blindness America (PBA). This is due to longevity and hormonal factors as well decreased access to health care for some women.
For these reasons, PBA has started an initiative just for women called See Jane See. See Jane See provides women of all ages with many helpful resources and information that can lead toward better vision and eye health. These include:
- Information about different diseases and conditions
- Conclusions of age-related eye disease studies and how nutritional supplements have been found to help with eye health
- Ideas about how to live a healthier lifestyle
Some of the tips See Jane See shares for keeping your eyes and vision healthy are as follows:
- Schedule a dilated eye exam, especially if you are aged 40 or over
- Eat a healthy diet that includes three or more servings of fruit every day, foods high in the lutein and zeaxanthin antioxidants, and fish twice a week or a fish oil supplement daily
- If you are overweight, lose weight to avoid Type 2 diabetes, the leading cause of blindness in those under the age of 65
- Quit smoking
- Wear sunglasses that block UV rays and a brimmed hat whenever you are outdoors
- Use cosmetics and contact lenses safely
- Find out if there is a history of eye disease in your family
With so many work and family responsibilities, it’s easy for any woman to forget to take care of herself. We highly encourage you to remind the special women in your life to make sure they are taking care of their eyes and vision! Visit the See Jane See website to check out all the great information designed to help all women better care for their eyes!
In addition to maintaining your own vision and eye health, it is important to focus on your kids’ eyes, too. Real Kids Shades has a range of sunglasses to protect kids’ eyes from the sun, and, until the end of October, you can still use the coupon code RKSBACK2SCHOOL to receive a 20 percent discount on all online purchases.