Women have unique vision issues so it’s important to ensure they have all the information they need about how to maintain their eye health. As a practice, it’s important to keep your patients informed on the importance of eye health.

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Women are statistically more susceptible to contract some form of eye disease, visual impairment or blindness, especially after the age of 40. This is because women experience normal age-related hormonal changes that may affect their eyes and are at greater risk for autoimmune diseases that may impact their eyesight.

In order to prevent any vision problems from happening in the future, here are 5 easy steps you can give your patients to help them reduce their risk of vision-threatening eye diseases.

1. ALWAYS WASH OFF EYE MAKEUP

Many women love to get dressed up and try new looks and much of these beauty products are used around the eyes. However, eye cosmetics can cause dry eyes because they can block the glands within the lids. The consequences for this could result in eye irritation or other forms of eye infections. It’s important to always wipe away any makeup from your face, with special focus on your eyes. If you really want to treat your eyes right, opt for natural makeup removers that aren’t too abrasive or loaded with chemicals.

FAST FACTS: Here are 5 facts about makeup to tell your patients in order to prevent future eye health risks:

KEEP TRACK OF EXPIRED PRODUCTS

If you’re taking the time to remove your makeup at the end of the day, it’s equally important to make sure you know what you’re putting on your face to begin with. Making sure you know what goes into the cosmetics you use is important but many women fail to consider the product’s expiry date. Products that are used directly on the eye such as eyeshadow, eyeliner or mascara tend to have an expiry date on them and it’s important to take note of it. Using products beyond this date could be dangerous for your eye health. Lastly, it’s important to always clean out your brushes and sponges on a regular basis. Makeup and grime can collect on these items, which can be dangerous for your eyes if you continue to apply makeup with dirty brushes.

2. STAY PROTECTED AGAINST UV EXPOSURE

It’s important to always stay protected from the sun. Ultraviolet radiation is linked to many diseases including skin cancer but it can also be detrimental to your vision. Radiation from the sun can cause a number of eye diseases including macular degeneration and cataracts. Sunglasses are an easy yet stylish way to stay protected from the sun. Patients can have a large variety of colours, shapes and designs to choose from. To get their full benefits, opt for higher quality sun lenses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. Lastly, even though sunglasses are ideal for summer, they can also be useful during the winter months to protect your eyes from light bouncing off snow, so make sure to remind patients to wear them all year round!

For added protection against UV rays, make sure to remind your patients on the importance of wearing brimmed hats. This will ensure full coverage against the sun because it will prevent UV rays from entering their eyes from the top, where sunglasses are unable to protect.

3. BE MINDFUL OF OVER-THE-COUNTER CONTACT LENSES

Maybe it’s for a Halloween costume, or maybe you just want to change up your look with a set of colored contact lenses. It’s okay to try new looks but it’s important to be safe with choosing your contact lenses. Whether it’s prescription lenses or not, remind your patients on the importance of consulting a trained eye-care professional before trying on a pair of contact lenses. Avoid using cheap lenses that can be bought over-the-counter as this could lead to serious eye problems. If you are using prescribed contacts, make sure to clean them properly and check the expiry date on your contact lens solution. Lastly, avoid keeping your contacts in for too long, especially while sleeping because it’s important to let your eyes breath.

4. EAT A BALANCED DIET AND EXERCISE REGULARLY

Studies have shown that eating the proper foods, in a variety of colourful fruits and veggies, as well as healthy proteins and fats, can be beneficial to your eye health. Tell your patients to incorporate more leafy greens and healthy fats in their diet, such as Omega-3s, which can be found in salmon. Try to avoid sugary and processed foods to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Staying away from smoking and excessive alcohol consumption is also beneficial. Add in a little extra physical activity in your day to get your heart pumping by going on walks, biking, or joining a gym. These small steps can help to improve your eyesight and overall health.

5. TAKE CARE OF ANY CHRONIC CONDITIONS

In order to prevent any vision problems in the future, it’s important to stay on top of any health issues they may have right now. Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or chronic stress could lead to a higher chance of developing possible eye diseases down the road. Advise them to see a doctor now to help manage any conditions in order to avoid complications in the future.

6. SCHEDULE REGULAR EYE EXAMS

Whether your patients have 20/20 vision or not, it’s important to go for regular eye exams. Prevention is the key to maintaining healthy vision. Early detection could be the answer to avoid permanent damage to their vision in the future. Advise you patients to schedule regular appointments to make sure everything is running smoothly with their vision.