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Men and Women Don't See Eye-to-Eye on Vision Health

September 2010-- According to the American Optometric Association's (AOA) annual American Eye-Q® survey, men and women have different views and habits when it comes to eye and vision health. From seasonal allergies to UV protection to the best foods for eye health, the survey finds men and women are on different sides of the fence.

"While there is disagreement, the good news is the majority of both men and women understand the importance of maintaining eye and visual health through regular comprehensive eye exams," said Dori Carlson, O.D., President-Elect of the AOA. "But as a wife, it's not surprising to me that men and women can have differing points of view."

"Regardless of a patient's gender, an assessment from an optometrist is a significant part of preventive health care," said Mark Helgeson, O.D., husband of Dr. Carlson. "Conditions like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer and multiple sclerosis may be caught during a comprehensive eye exam."

Seasonal Eye Allergies

According to the American Eye-Q® survey, more women (73 percent) than men (67 percent) report suffering from seasonal eye allergies that cause itchy and watery eyes. Surprisingly though, more men (16 percent) than women (9 percent) have missed work because of seasonal eye allergies. Men listed the top two things that allergies interfere with on a daily basis as participating in recreational outdoor activities (37 percent) and sleep (36 percent). Women cited participating in recreational outdoor activities and the ability to think or concentrate (both at 27 percent).

UV Protection for the Eyes

When it comes to protecting against the sun's damaging rays, more women (35 percent) than men (28 percent) are concerned with checking for UV protection when purchasing sunglasses. The survey also showed more men (36 percent) than women (27 percent) mistakenly believe name-brand sunglasses are better for your eyes and offer more protection than generic or less expensive sunglasses.

"Overexposure of the eyes to UV rays is serious and can lead to cataracts, macular degeneration or, in some cases, skin cancer around the eyelids," said Dr. Helgeson. "The ladies win in this case; you should always look for sunglasses that offer good protection, blocking 99 to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation and screening out 75 to 90 percent of visible light."

Nutrition and Eye Health

According to the American Eye-Q® survey, the majority of men and women believe carrots are the best food for your eyes. Slightly more men (14 percent) than women (11 percent), however, correctly identified spinach as the better food for promoting eye health.

"In fact, spinach and other dark leafy greens are the healthiest foods for the eyes because they naturally contain large amounts of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin that can help protect against diseases like age-related macular degeneration," said Dr. Carlson.

Computer Vision Syndrome

The AOA defines computer vision syndrome (CVS) as a group of eye and vision-related problems that result from prolonged computer use. Regular eye care and changes in behavior can alleviate CVS. For every 20 minutes of computer viewing, the AOA recommends looking into the distance for 20 seconds to give your eyes a chance to refocus.

The survey shows more men (59 percent) than women (53 percent) experience vision issues from using tech devices like computers. Women (17 percent) came out ahead of men (13 percent), though, when it comes to taking visual breaks every 20 minutes. The majority of both men and women said they take breaks every 30 to 60 minutes.

Aging Eyes

The survey results indicated that 40 is the most common age at which Americans begin noticing changes in their vision. However, the way in which men and women cope with age-related eye problems differ. Men use brighter lights when performing tasks (36 percent), while women limit their night driving (35 percent). Men and women agree that their biggest concern related to developing serious vision problems is being unable to live independently. For women, the next biggest concern is being unable to read, while for men it was not being able to see their loved ones.

Additional Interesting Findings

Bad habits are hard to break for both sexes. When asked what is the longest they'd worn daily disposable contact lenses before replacing them, the top response among men was one week (27 percent), while women indicated two months or longer (27 percent).

With the popularity of 3-D televisions on the rise, it's no surprise more men (35 percent) than women (16 percent) are considering purchasing one in the future.

Comprehensive Eye Exams

Even though men and women vary in their eye and vision behaviors, the majority of both sexes indicated they have seen an eye doctor within the last two years. Many eye and vision problems don't have obvious signs or symptoms, so problems can often be undetected. Early diagnosis and treatment of eye and vision problems are important for maintaining good vision and eye health, and when possible, preventing vision loss.

  Comprehensive eye exams are designed to:

  --  Evaluate the functional status of the eyes, taking into account

      special vision demands and needs

  --  Assess vision health and related systemic health conditions

  --  Determine a diagnosis (or diagnoses)

  --  Formulate a treatment and management plan

  --  Counsel and educate patients about their visual, ocular and related

      systemic health care status, including recommendations for treatment,

      management and future care

To find an optometrist in your area, or for additional information on eye and vision health, please visit www.aoa.org.

About the survey:

The fifth annual American Eye-Q® survey was created and commissioned in conjunction with Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates (PSB). From April 14-21, 2010, using an online methodology, PSB interviewed 1,007 Americans 18 years and older who embodied a nationally representative sample of U.S. general population. (Margin of error at 95 percent confidence level)

About the American Optometric Association (AOA):

The American Optometric Association represents approximately 36,000 doctors of optometry, optometry students and paraoptometric assistants and technicians. Optometrists serve patients in nearly 6,500 communities across the country, and in 3,500 of those communities are the only eye doctors. Doctors of optometry provide two-thirds of all primary eye care in the United States.

American Optometric Association doctors of optometry are highly qualified, trained doctors on the frontline of eye and vision care who examine, diagnose, treat and manage diseases and disorders of the eye. In addition to providing eye and vision care, optometrists play a major role in a patient's overall health and well-being by detecting systemic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Prior to optometry school, optometrists typically complete four years of undergraduate study, culminating in a bachelor's degree. Required undergraduate coursework for pre-optometry students is extensive and covers a wide variety of advanced health, science and mathematics.

Optometry school consists of four years of post-graduate, doctoral study concentrating on both the eye and systemic health. In addition to their formal training, doctors of optometry must undergo annual continuing education to stay current on the latest standards of care. For more information, visit www.aoa.org.