Is There A Gender Difference In Vision?

Explaining the eye care differences in men and women.

Since the beginning of time, men and women have been debating back and forth between who is the more superior gender. At one point or another, you have surely walked into a discussion about who is the better driver, the most intelligent, the kindnest, the most aware, or the better athlete of the two genders. And while many of these facts may never actually be proven, that does not mean that they are not fun to debate.

However, behavioral qualities are not the only differences between these genders. Even our bodies are vastly different, all the way from our genes and our organs, to our feelings and emotions. In fact, when it comes to the difference between men and women, even our vision is slightly different.

That’s right, there are many differences in vision between males and females. While we essential view things the same way through our eyes, many vision problems and eye diseases will affect us differently.

Here are just a few examples of how vision can alter between men and women:

Seasonal Allergies

During the springtime, it can seem as though everyone around you suddenly has a case of the sneezes or puffy eyes. However, when it comes to males and females, the severity of the symptoms of seasonal allergies can be a little bit different. In a nationally representative sampling of more than 1,000 American adults in 2010, nearly 73% percent of women said that they suffered from seasonal allergies that lead to itchy, watery eyes, compared to only 67% of men.

There was also a significant difference in how these seasonal allergies affected males and females in their day-to-day life. Most men said the worst result of allergies was difficulty participating in outdoor recreational activities, followed by an interference with sleep. However, women cited their two biggest problems as difficultly with thinking and trouble concentrating.

Eye Strain

While sitting in front of computer monitors and televisions cannot cause any permanent damage to your eye sight, they can still cause your eyes to become dry and strained, resulting in blurry, tired vision. When it comes to eye strain, more men than women reported that they have vision issues from sitting in front of their computers for too long (59% vs. 53%). However, this could be because more women (17%) than men (13%) say that they take a vision break every 20 minutes.

When it comes to working on the computer for a long period of time, it is important that you follow the 20-20-20 rule in order to decrease your chances of developing tired, dry eyes. This rule says that every 20 minutes that you are using an electronic device, you should take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.

Age-Related Issues

While nearly everyone over the age of 40 will begin to experience some sort of eye change, there is a significant difference in the way that men and women respond to these types of changes. For instance, more than a third of the men surveyed said that they would turn to brighter lights in order to solve their problems. Women, on the other hand, said they they would choose to cut back on driving at night.

However, one thing that was consistent between both men and women was that their biggest vision concern when it comes to aging eyes: the chance that bad eyesight could cause them to not live independently.

Whether you are a man or a woman, the importance of regular comprehensive eye exams stays the same. In order to ensure that your eyes are healthy and strong, both now and in the future, you should maintain regular vision screenings and follow proper steps to keep your eyes in the best shape possible. In the end, that is something that both men and women can see clearly.

 

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