When we think about smoking, the most important health effects that come to our mind are lung cancer and bad teeth, however it does not stop here. Smoking is dangerous for our whole body systems. It not only harm our body systems but also affect our healthy vision. A diseases can not harm our eyesight as much than smoking can.
Smoking: A Risk Factor For Every Age-Related Eye Disease
According to studies, smoking increases the chance of different eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and also dry eye Syndrome. Let discuss these one by one.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration, also called age-related macular degeneration, is the deterioration of the macula, cause no vision in the center of the visual field or irreversible blindness. People who smoke have triple the risk of developing AMD as compared to non smokers. Age-related macular degeneration will more likely to develop in smokers up to ten years before as compared to nonsmokers do on average.
Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the eye lens which cause blindness. The supply of antioxidants in our eyes reduces by smoking, which may cause cataract. Smoking increases the changes of cataracts. People who smoke heavy, the risk will increase triple time. Blurred vision, double vision, light sensitivity, dim colors, and lessen night vision are the indication of cataracts. Cataract is treated by cataract surgery which is most common and safe, so it is not irreversible.
Retinopathy
Retinopathy is any damage to the retina of the eye. it is an eye disease closely related with diabetes. Upto 40% the chances of developing diabetes can be increased by smoking, therefore the risk of retinopathy also increased. If the blood sugar are not controlled it start damages the blood vessels in the retina, causing them to leak blood into the eye. If the damage is serious, it can eventually suffer the retina of oxygen and cause blindness.
Smokers Aren’t Always the Only Ones Affected
Secondhand smoke combine the smoke from the end of the cigarette with what the smoker blow out. It not only harm the vision of the smoker but also put the impact on the eyesight of others at risk too, beside with many other health effects. Young children and infants are the most vulnerable.
Vaping Is Not A Safe Alternative
Vaping is often alternative to smoking, chemicals in e-cigarette liquid have been linked to increased risks of these same vision-threatening diseases that we have discuss before. If vaping is healthful than regular cigarettes, it is not by much.
Quit The Habit to Save Your Vision
smoking is the most preventable cause of vision loss, it’s us to us whether we can control or not. If you want to avoid smoking then it is not too much late to leave, either. Leaving smoking permanently can reduces the chances of macular degeneration by six percent after just one year, chances of developing cataracts is also reduce by it.
Good overall health promotes healthy vision!
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