Vision Loss In Men: What Should You Know About It?
When it comes to vision, men have an upper hand than women as they are at less risk of developing vision-related diseases. Women are found to have greater chances of losing their eyesight than men.
Females experience intense hormonal changes due to various reasons in their lives and thus vision changes or loss is common. But, this doesn’t mean that men don’t have to worry at all about their eyesight and indulge in reckless habits that hamper their vision.
With the growing use of digital devices in our home and office, it is safe to conclude that our eyes are more at risk of developing diseases than ever. It is good to see an optician once a year and get your eyes checked. You can wear corrective glasses to keep your vision problem from worsening if you have any.
Causes of vision loss among men
Even though vision loss is not so common among men, it mainly occurs in old age due to the following medical conditions and lifestyle habits.
Diabetes
56% of adults in the UK have diabetes. With this chronic health condition comes the risk of diabetic retinopathy. It is a type of disease where the high sugar levels in your blood damage the blood vessels in your eyes. This damage may also result in vision loss. Also, diabetes dramatically increases the risk of other eye conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma.
High blood pressure
Your retinal cells need oxygen and nutrients via blood to function properly. High blood pressure levels reduce the blood flow to your retina leaving you with blurred vision. In case the blood flow gets blocked, the retinal cells will die resulting in permanent vision loss.
Blue light
From the digital devices to the LED lights in our home or offices, everything has blue light. The artificial blue light reaches the back of your retina and causes damage. The short-term exposure to this light brings about digital eye strain whereas the prolonged exposure can lead to age-related macular degeneration which is the leading cause of vision loss in men.
Blue light glasses will help block the transmission of this bad light and will also reduce the amount of glare by a significant degree. This way, you will enjoy maximum comfort even after a long day of digital consumption.
Smoking
Smoking is never good for your health and that includes your vision health as well. Smoking can lead to elevated inflammation levels in the eye which triggers various optic nerve problems and retinal damage. It also leads to the development of disorders such as cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and dry eye syndrome.
Gaming
It’s a no brainer to choose who among the men or women spend more time playing video games. Men consume countless hours of online gaming without taking regular breaks. This can lead to eye irritation or sore eyes due to the glare from the screen.
If you already have a vision error and you don’t wear any protective glasses to protect your eyes from the glare, your vision will deteriorate even further. It is advisable to wear gaming glasses to prevent eye strain from your gaming routine and focus on the screen more clearly.
What to do?
When it comes to preventing your eye health, a little goes a long way. Your risk of developing these eye conditions can be brought down if you make the following changes in your lifestyle.
- Eat green leafy vegetables and fishes to deliver required nutrients and vitamins to your eyes.
- If you have diabetes, keep your weight under control.
- Exercise regularly to keep your blood pressure levels under check.
- Do some eye exercises whenever you feel eye pain. This will rejuvenate the eye muscles and will help you focus better.
- Use protective glasses to prevent eye damage from the natural and artificial lights.
- Schedule annual appointments with your eye doctor to make sure that your eyes are healthy.
- In case you wear eyeglasses, get your eyes tested once every year and wear the updated prescription. Be extra cautious while putting in information such as your prescription power and pupillary distance if you are ordering glasses online.
Although you have a lower risk of developing serious eye problems than women, your careless attitude towards your eye health will cost you big time in the near future. Especially if you have a chronic condition such as diabetes, you have to be extra mindful of your vision.