Women At Higher Risk For Vision Loss

More women than men are at risk for vision loss. In fact, of the 3.4 million Americans age 40 and older who are visually impaired, 75 percent are women.

Of the four leading causes of blindness in older Americans - age-related macular degeneration, cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy - the rate of women's cases outnumbers the men in all four categories. And because women on average tend to outlive men, they are even more affected by age-related eye diseases.

There are no cures for these diseases, but vision loss can be delayed significantly if detected and treated early. Prevent Blindness America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving sight, encourages women to get their eyes checked regularly by an eye care professional at least once every other year, especially those who are 55 or older. Women with diabetes may need to go more often. All women should visit their eye doctor, even if they have no problems seeing.