According to medical professionals, women are 50 to 60 per cent more likely to have a range of eye disorders than men, many of which are impacted by biological, hormonal, and lifestyle variables. For prompt discovery and treatment, it is imperative to comprehend these elements. For instance, women are roughly 1.5 times more likely than men to acquire glaucoma and twice as likely to get dry eye syndrome. As per WHO, 55 per cent of cataract surgeries are performed on women worldwide. Diabetic retinopathy, which destroys retinal blood vessels and may result in vision loss, is 1.3 times more common in women with diabetes than in men.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is 1.5 times more common in women than in men, especially after 65 years of age. According to the National Eye Institute, two-thirds of AMD patients are women. Given their longer life expectancy and risk factors like genetics, smoking, and hypertension, women may have a higher prevalence of AMD. The impact of estrogen on vascular health might potentially be a factor in women's heightened vulnerability.
Women make up about 60 per cent of those with dry eye syndrome. Because of hormonal changes, this illness is most prevalent among post-menopausal women. Tear production is significantly influenced by estrogen and progesterone, and hormonal changes, especially during pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause, increase the risk of dry eye in women. As women age, cataracts are increasingly common in them. Cataracts are almost 1.5 times more common in women than in men. Women's increased risk of cataracts is largely caused by hormonal changes that occur after menopause and extended life expectancy. Environmental elements like smoking and exposure to the sun also have an impact. Eye-related autoimmune illnesses such Sjogren's syndrome and unevitis are 2–9 times more common in women than in men. According to studies, women make up 90 per cent of those with autoimmune illnesses that damage the eyes.
Women are more likely than men to experience retinal vein occlusion (RVO), which causes abrupt vision loss or blurriness. Compared to men, women are slightly more likely to develop RVO. According to some studies, RVO is around 1.5 times more common in women than in men, particularly in those over 65 years. Similarly, women are much more likely than men to have idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Research indicates that women, particularly those of childbearing age, are 4-6 times more likely than men to be impacted by IIH.
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