April – Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month
In an effort to educate women about sight preservation, Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has again designated April has Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month. According to PBA, women are more susceptible than men to vision impairment and comprise 2.6 of the 4.1 million Americans age 40 and older who are visually impaired or blind.In a study conducted by PBA, data showed that more women than men experience age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Reasons for the gender discrepancy, according to the National Eye Institute, include longevity and hormonal factors.
According to local ophthalmologist Dr. Jonathan Frantz, some common eye diseases can start to develop without any symptoms, and 40 is the age when early signs of disease and changes in vision may start to occur. So even though your eyes may feel fine and your vision is good, take the time to schedule that screening at 40. Based on the results of the initial screening, your eye doctor will develop a schedule for follow-up exams.
Much like regular mammograms and diabetes screenings, eye disease screening will help identify signs of disease at an early stage, when many treatments can have the greatest impact. Eye care professionals can also identify some medical conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, just by looking in your eyes.
“No matter what age you are, it’s never too early to start visiting your eye doctor and scheduling regular dilated eye exams,” said Dr. Frantz, medical director of Frantz EyeCare.
The optometric physicians at Frantz EyeCare are primary eye care providers who specialize in examination and diagnosis of eye diseases, vision conditions, testing for eyeglasses and contact lenses, and provide pre and post-operative care of surgery patients.
To schedule an appointment, call our main office at 239-418-0999 or schedule online now.
