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YOUR EYE HEALTH

Women at Higher Risk than Men for Most Eye Diseases

According to the recent Prevent Blindness study, The Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Costs of Vision Problems, women make up the majority of the 4.4 million Americans age 40 and older who are visually impaired or blind.  More women than men have age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma.  These numbers will only continue to increase in the years to come. 
Although there are no cures for these diseases, many of the effects may be lessened through early detection and treatment.  A recent online survey on behalf of Prevent Blindness found, however, that one in four women had not received an eye exam in the past two years.  Cost was cited as the number one reason for both those who did and did not have vision insurance.  Other reasons cited were transportation issues and simply being “too busy” to make an appointment.

Leading Causes of Eye Injuries in School-Aged Children are Sports-related

Every 13 minutes, an emergency room in the United States treats someone for a sports-related eye injury. According to the National Eye Institute, eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children in America, and most injuries occurring in school-aged children are sports-related.  The results of an eye injury can range from temporary to permanent vision loss.

The Need for Glasses –153 Million Reasons Lions Recycle for Sight

According to The World Health Organization, 153 million people have uncorrected refractive errors (near-sightedness, far-sightedness or astigmatism). Most of these vision impairments are quickly diagnosed and easy to treat with corrective lenses.

Still, millions of people in developing nations are pushed deeper into poverty simply because they don't have glasses. They can't learn, because reading is difficult. They can't work to the best of their ability, because they can't see clearly.

It costs Lions less than US$0.08 to provide a pair of recycled eyeglasses and change someone's life.

For children, clear vision means a better education, healthier development and a better quality of life. For adults, it means greater employment opportunity and economic strength. For seniors it means less dependence on others.

Lions clubs collect millions of eyeglasses each year to address the need for glasses, making eyeglass recycling one of our most popular activities. You can help.