© Provided by Hattiesburg-Laurel WDAM-TV Women’s Eye Health Month

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – According to the National Eye Institute, two out of every three cases of blindness or vision problems occur in women.

So, why do women have more eye issues than men?

“Just because they live longer,” said Dr. Davis Richardson, Hattiesburg Eye Clinic Ophthalmologist/Ophthalmic surgeon. “That’s the main reason. As we live longer, we get a lot of things. Dry Eye Disease is a very common thing to see more in women than men. Cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration, too.”

Dry eye is one of the most common eye problems in women. Symptoms include a burning sensation in the eyes and redness.

The condition also can be caused by not properly removing makeup around the eyes, or not using the best face makeup.

A possible solution: Consider switching to hypoallergenic makeup.

“Women have a lot of issues with dry eye that I see,” Richardson said. “Hormonal issues can cause that. We have a lot of glands in our lid, about 40 in each lid, that make oil for our tear film called Meibomian glands.

“They get occluded and we don’t get enough oil for our tear film and we get dry eye. That’s one of the major reasons. We can treat that by getting makeup off properly.”

Though eye exams are recommended annually, it is especially important for women past the age of 40.

Doctors say an annual eye exam can help catch problems or prevent them before it’s too late.

But if you have any symptoms or a family history of eye issues, more frequent checkups may be in order.

“Once a year after age 40, we think that’s important,” Richardson said. “if you have a family history of any of this stuff, cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, it’s easily treatable once we make that diagnosis.”

Some ways to maintain eye health include:

• Not smoking
• Consume an “eye-friendly” diet of dark, leafy vegetables such as spinach or kale
• Practice good makeup habits, removing it properly before bed
• Getting an annual eye exam.

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