Do Women Have Worse Eyesight Than Men?

It’s a well-known fact that women live longer than men, on average. This has a lot to do with the fact that women take fewer risks, generally speaking, as they typically have less dangerous jobs and are less likely to engage in life-threatening hobbies or activities. There are also actually genetic advantages to having two X chromosomes, which could help add a few extra years. However, with a longer life comes the opportunity for more health issues to creep up. And those health issues could be anything, affecting anywhere, even the eyes. So that leaves us with the question, do women have worse eyesight than men, and is it simply because they live longer?

We know that a lot of eye diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts are more likely to occur with age. So, it makes sense that women might experience these more often if they live longer. However, there are also other reasons that women are at a greater risk of vision loss that have nothing to do with an increased life expectancy.

Hormonal Changes and Eyesight

We know that women’s bodies change a lot with age. From puberty to childbirth to menopause, hormone fluctuations cause a host of developments in the female body that impact a lot more than just the reproductive system. In fact, hormonal fluctuations are actually responsible for a lot of vision changes in women. For example, both menopause and taking birth control pills can cause dry eye because they impact hormones. Additionally, some studies have found that women’s vision can substantially fluctuate during a normal menstrual cycle.

Birth control pills are actually the culprit behind other vision issues, albeit indirectly. These pills include side effects like strokes and blood clots, which also cause damage to the eyes. Additionally, women who take hormonal replacements during menopause are also at a higher risk of developing cataracts. While these medications are definitely necessary for many women, they do not come without risks to vision.

Of course, nothing leads to more hormonal changes than pregnancy. Since hormones change so frequently during pregnancy, women can experience a lot of different eye health issues and vision changes. They may even find that they need a different prescription lens after their first pregnancy.

Pregnancy can also cause women to experience dry eye syndrome as well as increased sensitivity to light. These symptoms can lead to chronic headaches and migraines, which can then lead to additional vision issues. Pregnancy can also exacerbate diabetic retinopathy in women who are diabetic. Are women more likely to have bad eyesight? Well, they are more likely to experience hormone fluctuation, which, as we can see, greatly impacts vision.

Autoimmune Diseases and Women’s Eyesight

Autoimmune diseases are also the culprit for many vision changes. And, unfortunately, women are much more likely to develop these conditions than men, making this one of the primary causes of gender differences in vision loss.  Autoimmune conditions that impact vision include lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s Syndrome, and others. These conditions can impact eyesight by causing blurry or cloudy vision, itchy eyes, dry eyes, double vision, and, in some cases, even blindness.

When you add one of these conditions to a pregnancy or other big hormonal change, vision problems they may already have due to the autoimmune diseases can become much worse or develop much faster. These are some of the most significant causes of early vision loss in women. So, do women have worse eyesight than men? When you consider the prevalence of autoimmune diseases, the answer might be yes.

Lack of Adequate Eye Care

Many of the eye diseases that affect women are treatable and sometimes even reversible if you catch them early. However, there are many women who, for one reason or another, do not get their eyes checked regularly. Whether it’s because they don’t have vision insurance, can’t afford to pay for eye exams out of pocket, or are too busy balancing a job and taking care of their families. Of course, this cause doesn’t definitively answer the question of who has better eyesight, men or women, as poor vision care is a problem that both genders face.

We know that early detection and treatment are key to ensuring age-related eye diseases don’t progress beyond repair. This is why regular eye exams are so important, especially for women over the age of 40. This is when many conditions start to develop.

Preserving Your Eye Health

It’s not all bad for women, though. In fact, there are some areas of vision where women consistently outperform men. Evidence suggests women generally have better peripheral vision than men. This difference is often attributed to evolutionary roles, with women, on average, possessing more rod cells in their peripheral retina, which supports better awareness of their surroundings. Conversely, men tend to excel at tracking fast-moving objects and focusing on fine details at a distance.

Even if it seems that the answer to the question of whether women have worse eyesight than men is yes, women shouldn’t fear. There is a lot you can do to prevent eye diseases from progressing to the point that they impact your quality of life. For example, if there is a history of eye diseases in your family, your chances of developing those same eye diseases are increased. Knowledge is power here. So, if you notice any changes in your vision, such as blurry vision or eye pain, you should have your eyes checked right away. This is crucial to eliminate the possibility of any serious eye problems.

If you smoke, you should quit as soon as possible. Smoking causes many health problems and damage to your organs that can lead to issues with your eyes. The risk of losing your eyesight completely is increased if you smoke.

Weight Management for Vision

Take care of your health to reduce the risk of vision problems. If you’re overweight or out of shape, consider starting a weight loss or workout plan. Losing weight to the point that you are no longer considered “obese” is essential for preventing vision problems. This is because many vision problems are caused by health issues associated with being overweight. Reducing your risk of issues like heart disease will reduce your risk of developing vision problems as well.

Many foods that are good for weight loss are also good for your eye health. You want to eat foods that are high in vitamin C, omega-3s, vitamin A, and other antioxidants. These foods include oranges and berries, spinach, kale and other green leafy vegetables. Fish and egg yolks are also really good for your vision.

Tips for Improving Eyesight in Women

Beyond managing your weight, there is a lot you can do to improve and preserve your vision:

• Wear sunglasses whenever you’re outside to protect your eyes from UVA and UVB rays from the sun.
• Never overuse your contact lenses.
• Always wash your hands well before handling your contact lenses to avoid eye infections and irritations.
• Pay attention to any changes in your vision or any eye problems you notice, and go for an eye test as soon as possible

We can’t always control our hormones or the changes they cause. But we can go above and beyond to care for our eyes. The better you take care of yourself, the more aware you will be of vision changes, which will go a long way in preventing more long-term eyesight problems.