OcuSoft Donates to Prevent Blindness's Women's Wellness Program

OcuSoft Inc. will donate 10 percent of its gross monthly online sales to Prevent Blindness. The campaign runs for the month of April, PB's Women’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month.  The donation will go to support “See Jane See: Women’s Healthy Eyes Now,” a web-based educational campaign dedicated solely to women’s vision health that includes free information and downloadable tip sheets created specifically for women on a variety of issues across the age spectrum.  Information will also include symptoms, causes and treatment options for a variety of conditions. Read more.

Data from the Prevent Blindness study, “The Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Costs of Vision Problems,” found that women make up the majority of the 4.4 million visually-impaired or blind Americans 40 and older. Put simply, women have different vision issues than men. For example, cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration pose a greater risk for women than men. According to the National Eye Institute, twice as many women have dry eye than men.  Dry eye occurs after menopause. Women who experience menopause prematurely are more likely to have eye surface damage from dry eye. Finally, pregnancy can cause vision changes including refractive changes, dry eyes, and puffy eyelids.  Expectant mothers may also experience vision effects from migraine headaches, diabetes and high blood pressure. Glaucoma medications such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors can be harmful to the developing baby.  All pregnant women should discuss all medications and any changes in their vision immediately with their doctor. Read more.

Women Vulnerable to Eye Disease; Prevent Blindness Fights Back

Women make up the majority of the 4.4 million Americans age 40 and older who are visually impaired or blind,according to the recent Prevent Blindness (PB) study. More women than men have age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma, and these numbers will increase, according to the study, called The Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Costs of Vision Problems.

Even though early treatment can lessen the effects of these diseases, an MD or OD had not examined in the past two years one in four women's eyes, according to an online PB survey. Cost was cited as the number one reason for both those who did and did not have vision insurance. Other reasons cited were transportation issues and simply being “too busy” to make an appointment.

PB called the survey's results alarming, especially in light of the PB survey conducted in 2014 conducted by Harris. It found the following:

• Less than 10 percent of American women realize that women are at a greater risk of suffering permanent vision loss than men.
• 86 percent incorrectly believe that men and women are at equal risk.
• Five percent believe that men are at greater risk.

Prevent Blindness has designated April as Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month. The group also created See Jane See: Women’s Healthy Eyes Now to provide free education and resources on everything from eye disease to cosmetic safety to vision changes during pregnancy. Experts also write about the importance of eye exams and the effects of smoking on women.

Why Women Want Reading Glasses Sooner Than Men--It's in the Arms

"Studies have consistently reported that women require reading glasses or bifocal lenses earlier than men. According to a recent Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science paper, the gender difference is caused by factors other than focusing ability, such as arm length or preferred reading distance, which should be considered when prescribing readers or bifocals," notes Science Daily. "While the results of a subgroup of studies showed that there was no significant gender-related difference in the eye's ability to focus clearly on objects at near distances, the overall analysis provided evidence that women have a need for higher power reading glasses or bifocals than men of an equivalent age. According to the researchers, this discrepancy is likely due to differences in preferred reading distances or arm length as women tend to hold reading materials closer than men do." Read more.