Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month is observed in April and designed to educate women about the steps they can take to help stop vision loss.

Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month educates women that those age 40 and older should make it a priority to have a dilated eye exam to help prevent vision loss. It is also important to have a dilated eye exam any time a change in vision is detected.

At 90 and older, there are five times as many women living as men. Studies have shown that more women than men suffer from age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, the four leading eye diseases in the United States. Women are also at higher risk of developing sight-threatening autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.