Warning: Smoking Can Damage The Eyes

Smoking can affect the eyes and almost the entire body. In the case of the eyes, the damage caused by smoking causes a variety of problems, from conjunctivitis to total blindness. This is another reason to give up a habit that has become the number one preventable cause of death in the world.

The harmful effects of tobacco on the respiratory and cardiovascular system are well known. However, not many people are aware that smoking can affect the eyes, even permanently. It is estimated that only one in five smokers is aware of this risk.

It is believed that smokers are twice as likely to lose their eyesight as non-smokers. The damage mainly comes from tobacco smoke, as it contains toxic substances that initially cause irritation, but later damage the eyeball. Smoking can even damage the eyes of passive smokers.

How can smoking affect the eyes?

Smoking can affect the eyes in different ways and to varying degrees. This depends on many factors, including the amount of tobacco consumed daily, how long the habit has been maintained, genetics, general health, etc.

The main eye disorders caused by cigarettes, cigars and pipes and any other form of smoking include the following eye disorders:

• The dry eye syndrome. This presents as itching and roughness when the eyelid moves over the eye. It is caused by an imbalance of natural tears. The eye becomes red and the vision becomes blurred, in the long term this can lead to scarring on the cornea.

• stare. Cataracts are a clouding of the lens that obscures vision. This problem can only be solved with surgery.
• Diabetic retinopathy. In diabetics, smoking can cause damage to the blood vessels in the retina. This causes blurry and unfocused vision, which can eventually lead to blindness.
• Macular degeneration (Spanish link). Smokers are three times more likely to develop this condition. It reduces central vision and the ability to see fine details. It is treatable, but there is no cure.
• Optic neuropathy (Spanish link). This is a sudden loss of vision due to blockage of the blood supply to the eye. It can lead to permanent blindness.
• uveitis. This disease affects the iris and ciliary body and is characterized by redness of the eyes, vision problems and pain.

Symptoms of the condition

Eye conditions often go undetected by smokers, in part because some of these problems cause no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. It is therefore best to have regular check-ups with an ophthalmologist. In particular, your doctor should be consulted when some of these symptoms occur:

• Blurry sight.
• A blurry spot in the center of the view.
• Need more light to read.
• See waves in straight lines.
• Problems recognizing faces.
• Itching and usual redness in the eyes.
• Difficulty recognizing details in images.

Smoking during pregnancy

Smoking during pregnancy poses a high risk to the baby. In addition to the already known dangers in this regard, smoking can also affect the eyes of the child in several ways.

Smoking increases the risk of preterm birth. This, in turn, can lead to a serious eye problem called ‘premature retinopathy’, which in some cases causes total blindness.

Similarly, mothers who smoke during pregnancy are five times more likely to have children who suffer from bacterial meningitis during childhood. This disease leads to serious vision problems and eye infections.

It should be noted that these dangers lie in wait not only for mothers who smoke directly, but also for those who are in an environment where they are exposed to smoke. We must not allow smoking in the vicinity of a pregnant woman.

If smoking can affect the eyes, what can we do?

The healthiest measure is to stop smoking. As difficult as it may seem, thousands of people in the world manage to do it every day. It is best to go to the doctor and ask for help to get rid of the habit. There are medicines and exercises, such as meditation, that contribute significantly to achieving this goal.

While you’re working to quit smoking, you should also visit the eye doctor regularly. This helps to prevent any eye problems caused by smoking. It’s also a good idea to exercise and eat a diet rich in green leafy vegetables and fish.