It’s important not to overlook eye health, as most of our daily activities involve using our sight and vision. However, for the Black community, things aren’t as straightforward. According to a study on health literacy and health care disparity, marginalized groups like the elderly, people of lower educational level, and Black and Hispanic individuals are less likely to use the Internet for health care purposes. This places Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and multiracial adults at the lowest levels of basic health literacy.
Unfortunately, ophthalmology-related outcomes are often associated with low health literacy. Poor health literacy is associated with various physical health conditions that can impact the eyes, including worsened glycemic control and higher rates of diabetic retinopathy. Similarly, patients with glaucoma and low health literacy are also more likely to miss appointments.
Below, we’ll be looking at some of the issues concerning eye health in the Black community, and what we can do to mitigate them and take better care of our eyes and vision:
Age-related macular degeneration
Considered one of the most common eye conditions, an estimated 20 million Americans lived with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2019, 18.34 million with early-stage AMD, and 1.49 million with late-stage AMD. While it’s true that AMD more commonly occurs in White individuals than Black, they are still an occurrence, albeit at significantly lower levels, especially for early-stage AMD. It’s also important to note that early research and studies for AMD statistics have Black individuals heavily underrepresented, which may contribute to skewed results.
However, while the development of AMD can be mitigated by wearing eyeglasses for vision correction, many eyewear products aren’t designed with Black wearers in mind. In a piece from The Guardian, sisters Clare and Christina Kimeze in London spoke about the importance of eyeglasses design that is inclusive and doesn’t treat the Black community as an “afterthought.” This includes glasses that properly fit the facial features of Black individuals, such as lower and wider nose profiles or lower bridges.
Glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy
Compared to age-related macular degeneration, other eye diseases are more common among Black and African-American individuals. According to eye health data from the National Eye Institute, more than 825,000 Black or African-American people have diabetic retinopathy, and researchers expect this number to be over one million by 2030. Similarly, Black Americans are at higher risk for eye diseases like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, which are linked to other health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.
Like eyeglasses, there are certainly eye care practices to help mitigate this problem. Wearing prescription sunglasses can help address refractive errors while simultaneously reducing glare, which can be helpful for mitigating light sensitivity due to eye conditions like glaucoma. If you’re looking for sunglasses to help with your eye conditions, it can help to opt for larger lenses like the Aviator silhouette that provide more coverage and block off as much glare and sunlight as possible. Top brands, including Ray-Ban and Persol, offer prescription lenses with their famous models, such as the RB3025 Aviator Gradient and PO3347S.
Cataracts
Finally, cataracts are also a common issue. Similar to glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, Black individuals are also at higher risk for developing cataracts. Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss and blindness worldwide. A 2024 study found that the prevalence of cortical cataracts was higher among female patients compared to males and significantly higher among African-Americans (11%) than Hispanic (6.1%) and Asian (9.4%) compared to white patients (4.2%). Patients with cortical cataracts were also significantly more likely to have Type 1 diabetes.
Regular eye exams and a healthier lifestyle are crucial in preventing cataracts. Controlling blood sugar, for example, can help prevent cataract formation. In a previous post, we also highlighted the many health benefits of drinking tea. Green tea’s high concentration of antioxidants has been found to provide protective benefits for the eyes. These antioxidants can help cancel out free radicals in the body that can lead to eye conditions like AMD, cataracts, and glaucoma.
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