It turns out that women and men really do see the world differently, in the most literal sense. Not only are women more likely to suffer from eye diseases and conditions than men, new research suggests that there are differences in our basic visual function.
The "Vision Problems in the U.S." study from Prevent Blindness America (PBA) and the National Eye Institute (NEI) shows that of the more than 3.6 million Americans age 40 and older who suffer from visual impairment, including blindness, 2.3 million are women. Dr. Janine Austin Clayton, the National Institute of Health's Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health, got her start in the field of ophthalmology, where she discovered specific eye diseases that affect women disproportionately. In an NPR Tell Me More segment entitled "Women's Health: More Than Bikini Medicine", host Michel Martin asked Clayton what prompted her to look at sex differences in ophthalmology. Clayton said it was because of "the preponderance of women that I was seeing as patients time after time; 9 out of 10 of the people I was seeing as patients were women."
 Why are women more likely to be afflicted by certain eye diseases and conditions? The answer lies mainly in the hormonal fluctuations that occur throughout the woman's life cycle. Hormones are chemicals that regulate important body functions that can affect the eyes, and when they change, so can your eyesight. From puberty to menopause, women are constantly subject to changing hormonal levels. Women on birth control pills, for example, may experience changes in eyesight, and women who are pregnant or menopausal often experience dry, irritated eyes.
Eye diseases and conditions that women are more prone to include:
- Cataracts: A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye, caused by a buildup of protein, which prevents light from passing clearly through the eye and causes some loss of vision. The clouded vision caused by cataracts may make it difficult to do everyday activities such as driving a car or reading an expression on someone's face. If left untreated, cataracts can cause blindness.
- Diabetic Retinopathy: Diabetic retinopathy is a disease that affects some people with diabetes. It usually affects both eyes and occurs when insufficient oxygen is delivered to the retina, damaging retinal blood vessels, causing them to leak and the retina to swell. Let untreated, diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss or blindness.
- Dry Eye Syndrome: Dry eye syndrome is a condition in which the eye produces an insufficient amount of natural tears. Symptoms range from mild to moderate, including ocular discomfort, burning, stinging, and tired eyes.
- Glaucoma: Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can harm the eye's optic nerve and cause vision loss and blindness. Peripheral vision is lost first and generally occurs slowly and gradually.
- Macular Degeneration: Macular degeneration is the destruction of the macular, which is the central retina of the eye. The more common "dry" macular degeneration is slow and gradual, while "wet" macular degeneration may occur more quickly. Unlike glaucoma, macular generation affects the center of the field vision first.
Regarding the difference in basic visual function between women and men, a recent study in the journal Biology of Sex Differences suggests that men's eyes are more sensitive to small details and moving objects, while women are more sensitive to color changes. Israel Abramov, a researcher at the City University of New York, and his team tested large groups of young adults (males and females over age 16) who had 20/20 sight (with or without the help of glasses or contacts) and normal color vision. A test designed to measure sense of contrast involved showing participants images made up of light and dark bars that varied in width and alternated in color, so they appeared to flicker. Results demonstrated that male volunteers were better than female at identifying the more rapidly changing images made up of thinner bars. In another part of the study, researchers asked volunteers to describe the different colors displayed to them. Researchers found that female volunteers were better able than males at telling the difference between hues, and the men required a slightly longer wavelength of a color to experience the same shade as the women.
Now that we know that women are more likely to suffer from eye diseases and conditions, it is very important that we take steps to promote our eye health. Take a look at some tips below!
~from the Women's Health Research Institute
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