Even though smoking’s negative impacts on breath and hearing are known worldwide, the influence of the vice on vision is overlooked. In fact, smoking, if you can guess, increases your likelihood of contracting a number of diseases that threaten our sight.
- Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD): This is one leading cause of vision loss in adults that is higher among smokers as compared to non-smokers being twice higher. The act of smoking destroys every photoreceptor cell in the macula section, the central retina, which includes sharp vision.
- Cataracts: The formation of cataracts is more common among smokers in which the eye’s lens clouds, and that takes place 2-3 times earlier compared to the lenses of non-smokers. These regular eye exams have many advantages; detecting such eye diseases at an early age when they are easy to treat and more important comes next.
- Diabetic Retinopathy: In case of having diabetes, however, smoking only increases the consequences to visual impairment even further. The damage from blood vessels in the retina caused by smoking turns into sight-threatening conditions more quickly.
- Dry Eye Syndrome: The dry eye is more prevalent in smokers, whereby signs such as inconveniences, uncomfortable irritation and in some cases visual impairment are likely to be seen. Smoke as well as dry indoor air that smoking is a source of is implicated in this condition.
- Optic Nerve Damage: It is also known that smoking, by constricting blood flow, restricts blood flow that can cause the loss of vision and glaucoma which is a disease of the optic nerve.
Protecting Your Vision:
The first and best thing to do to maintain eye health is quitting smoking. You can make a consultation at The Eye Foundation if you currently smoke. Our highly trained ophthalmologists can diagnose initial indications of illness and offer viable treatment choices. As a reminder, early actions that will likely need to be reported may save your vision.
Schedule an Appointment Today:
It isn’t advisable that you wait until eye health is top on your priority list. Speak to The Eye Foundation to be next in line for a comprehensive eye exam today. Our devoted group aims to attend to individual treatment and see that you will see sharply for numerous years in the future.
