Sure, you know that lighting up a cigarette is never healthy — but did you know that smoking even damages eye health? Here's how.

Cigarette smoke is extremely toxic, containing as many as 4,000 active compounds, including tar, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and heavy metals. Its effects on the lungs and heart have been well established by medical researchers and are well known.[1]

Cigarette smoking reduces levels of plasma antioxidant, a substance in the blood stream, which protects retinal cells. Smoking causes the protective layer between the retina and blood vessels to erode, resulting in poor circulation, irritation and scarring.

Smoking is damaging to the blood supply. Smoking exposes the body to free radicals which causes cellular damage and can cause poor circulation of nutrients to the retina and lens. Carotenoid levels and vitamin C blood concentrations are substantially reduced. Smoking oxidizes cholesterol, causing fat to build up in the arteries. This leads to heart attack, stroke, and probably macular degeneration.[2]

Not as well known are the detrimental effects that smoking can have on your vision. Smoking has been directly linked to two of the leading causes of vision loss, cataracts and macular degeneration. In fact, researchers believe smoking also causes or contributes to a number of other eye health problems.

The Link Between Smoking and Cataracts

Research has found that smokers have double the risk of developing cataracts compared with non-smokers. This risk is triple for heavy smokers. In fact, doctors have discovered a specific relationship between cataracts and the amount that you smoke — the more you smoke, the more chance you have of developing cataracts.

Cataracts occur when the eye's naturally clear lens grows cloudy over time. This age-related condition causes blurry vision, faded colors, and increased sensitivity to glare. For some people, having cataracts is like trying to see through a waterfall.

Doctors believe smoking contributes to cataracts by altering the cells of the lens through oxidation. There is also evidence that smoking leads to the accumulation of heavy metals like cadmium in the lens. eResearch by Navid Ajamin -- spring 2013

Smoking and Macular Degeneration: What’s the Connection?

Smoking also increases a person's risk of developing macular degeneration. Studies have found that smokers face a risk of developing macular degeneration that is two to four times greater than that of people who have never smoked. As with cataracts, doctors have found that the risk increases the more a person has smoked. Researchers have also found an increased risk of macular degeneration in people who don't smoke but are frequently exposed to environmental cigarette smoke.

Macular degeneration involves the deterioration of the macula, the central part of the retina that allows us to perceive fine details. As the macula wears out, people experience blurriness, distortions, or blind spots in their central vision.

Doctors believe that smoking promotes macular degeneration by interfering with blood flow to the retina. Smoking might also increase the deleterious effects of oxidation on the cells of the macula.

Other Eye Health Problems Related to Smoking

Studies also have linked cigarette smoking to eye problems such as:

• Diabetic retinopathy

• Dry eyes

• Optic nerve damage

• Lazy eye

• Conjunctivitis

Vision Problems and Smoking: What You Can Do

There is hope for smokers who want to avoid smoking-related vision loss. Research has found that quitting smoking does improve their chances of avoiding eye disease. For example, studies show that people who quit smoking will have a 6.7 percent reduced risk of developing macular degeneration after one year. After five years, the risk drops by another 5 percent.

The same goes for cataracts. The eyes can heal from the damage done by cigarette smoking, although very slowly. Doctors say people who have quit smoking for 25 years have a 20 percent lower risk of cataracts when compared with current smokers.

One of the safest things to do for your vision? Never start smoking at all. Ex-smokers still have an increased risk of vision loss from cataracts or macular degeneration when compared with people who have never lit up a cigarette.[1]

Smoking And Dry Eyes

Dry eye syndrome describes insufficient tears on the eye's surface, which are needed to keep the eye lubricated and healthy. Sufferers of dry eye can experience eye redness, itchiness, a "foreign body" sensation and even watery eyes.

Tobacco smoke is a known eye irritant and worsens dry eye — even among second-hand smokers — particularly for contact lens wearers. People who smoke are nearly twice as likely to have dry eyes.

Smoking And Infant Eye Disease

Women who smoke during pregnancy transmit dangerous toxins to the placenta, potentially harming the unborn child. Smoking while pregnant increases the chance of many fetal and infant eye disorders, among other serious health problems.

These include strabismus (crossed eyes) and underdevelopment of the optic nerve, which is a leading cause of blindness in children.

Also, women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to give birth prematurely; all babies born prematurely are at greater risk of eye problems than full-term babies.

Vision problems of premature babies include retinopathy of prematurity, a potentially blinding disease.[3]

Reference:

1.everydayhealth.com 2.mdsupport.org 3.allaboutvision.com/smoking

See Also:

• Surprising Ways Smoking Affects Your Looks and Life
• How smoking affects the way you look
• How does smoking affect your eyes?
• how to quit smoking

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a medical condition which usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field (the macula) because of damage to the retina. It occurs in “dry” and “wet” forms. It is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in older adults (>50 years). Macular degeneration can make it difficult or impossible to read or recognize faces, although enough peripheral vision remains to allow other activities of daily life.[1]

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that can blur your central vision. It happens when aging causes damage to the macula — the part of the eye that controls sharp, straight-ahead vision. The macula is part of the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye).[9]

Dry macular degeneration, also known as atrophic or non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a common eye condition that primarily affects the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision. In dry AMD, there is a gradual breakdown or atrophy of the light-sensitive cells in the macula, particularly the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. These cells are crucial for supporting the health and function of the photoreceptor cells, including cones, in the macula.

The condition progresses slowly over time and can lead to symptoms such as blurred central vision, distorted vision (metamorphopsia), and difficulty seeing in low light. Unlike wet AMD, which involves abnormal blood vessel growth, dry AMD typically does not involve leaking blood vessels.

There are two main types of dry macular degeneration:

1. Early and Intermediate Dry Macular Degeneration: In the early stages, small yellow deposits known as drusen may form beneath the retina. Drusen are accumulations of waste materials that can interfere with the normal functioning of the macula. At this stage, individuals may not experience significant vision loss, and the condition may be detected during a routine eye exam.
2. Advanced Dry Macular Degeneration (Geographic Atrophy): Over time, some individuals with dry AMD may progress to an advanced stage characterized by the development of geographic atrophy. Geographic atrophy involves the loss of RPE cells and photoreceptor cells in discrete patches, leading to the formation of atrophic or “geographic” areas in the macula. This can result in a more significant and irreversible loss of central vision.[8]

Macular Degeneration - Symptoms and Detection
Symptoms of Dry AMD include the presence of drusens that begin to enlarge. Another symptom is blurry areas in central vision. A symptom of Wet AMD is seeing straight lines as wavy ones.

A visual acuity test can help an eye care professional determine if any central vision is lost. An Amsler grid may also be used to detect AMD. In this test you cover one eye and stare at a black dot that has patterns of straight lines. If these lines appear wavy or are missing then AMD could be present.[2]

Prevention

There is growing evidence that by improving your diet, you may also improve the health of your eyes. Research has suggested an association between macular degeneration and a high saturated fat diet.

There is also evidence that eating fresh fruits and dark green, leafy vegetables – foods rich in vitamins C and E, selenium, and carotenoids (including beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin) – may delay or reduce the severity of AMD.

How AMD can affect your sight?

AMD is progressive and it is also painless. While AMD may affect your central vision, most people still retain useful side (or peripheral) vision.
Key symptoms of AMD include:

• Distortion, where straight lines may appear wavy or bent. For example, lines of tiles in the bathroom appear wavy.
• Difficulty in reading or doing any other activity which requires fine vision.
• Difficulty in distinguishing faces.
• Dark patches or empty spaces, which appear in the centre of your vision.
• The need for increased illumination, sensitivity to glare, decreased night vision and poor colour sensitivity.[6]

Foods to Enjoy eResearch by Navid Ajamin -- spring 2012

Eat the freshest and brightest fruits and vegetables. Pick the most colorful vegetables and fruits you can find - red, dark green, orange, or yellow. These foods play a key role in keeping your eyes healthy:

Carrots Corn Kiwi Pumpkin Yellow squash Zucchini squash Red grapes Green peas Cucumber Butternut squash Green bell pepper Celery Cantaloupe Sweet potatoes Dried apricots Tomato and tomato products Dark green leafy vegetables Spinach Kale Turnips Collard greens ...

Fish

Eating fatty fish such as salmon, tuna or mackerel two to three times per week can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) according to a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

This research further confirms earlier studies that suggested eating fish can help reduce the risk of getting AMD and demonstrates that some of those already affected by the disease can benefit as well.

Nuts

Nuts not only contain Omega-3 fatty acids, but also copper which can play a role in preventing age-related eye diseases. Even just a handful of nuts at two or three times a week can reduce your risk of AMD.

Foods to Avoid

A high-fat, high-cholesterol diet can lead to fatty plaque deposits in the macular vessels, which can hamper blood flow and increase the risk of AMD. A diet low in fat promotes good eye health. Skip foods and processed baked goods with high-fat content. In addition recent research has indicated that those consuming red meat (10 times a week or more) were at 47% higher risk for macular degeneration.

Vitamins and Supplements

The National Eye Institute’s Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) found that taking a specific high-dose formulation of antioxidants and zinc significantly reduces the risk of advanced AMD and its associated vision loss. Slowing AMD’s progression from the intermediate stage to the advanced stage will save the vision of many people.

People who should consider taking the combination of antioxidants plus zinc include those who are at high risk for developing advanced AMD. These people are defined as having either:

1. Intermediate AMD in one or both eyes. Intermediate AMD is defined as the presence of either many medium-sized drusen or one or more large drusen.

2. Advanced AMD in one eye, but not the other eye. Advanced AMD is defined as either a breakdown of light-sensitive cells and supporting tissue in the central retinal area (advanced dry form), or the development of abnormal and fragile blood vessels under the retina (wet form) that can leak fluid or bleed. Either of these forms of advanced AMD can cause vision loss. Ask you doctor if taking this special formulation is right for you and where you can obtain the specific formula in your country.[3]

Grapes May Help Prevent AMD

Can eating grapes slow or help prevent the onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a debilitating condition affecting millions of elderly people worldwide? Results from a new study published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine suggest this might be the case. The antioxidant actions of grapes are believed to be responsible for these protective effects.[4]

Home Remedies and Lifestyle Changes [7]

The risk factors for macular degeneration are similar to those of heart disease and stroke. For this reason, lifestyle changes that benefit your heart may also benefit your vision. Lifestyle modifications to consider include:

• Quitting smoking
• Making dietary changes, such as limiting foods high in saturated fats (meat, butter, and cheese) and eating a heart-healthy diet full of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables
• Maintaining weight, since obesity is also a risk factor of dry AMD
• Managing blood pressure
• Using sun protection, such as wearing wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses
• Getting regular exercise (at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day)

As central vision declines in late-stage dry AMD, you can use low-vision tools, such as magnifying tools and handheld computers, to help with daily activities. Low-vision techniques, like using high-lumen light sources, reducing glare, and increasing contrast, can also help compensate for central vision loss.

Discussion. This systematic review and meta-analysis has shown that 8·7% of the worldwide population has age-related macular degeneration, and the projected number of people with the disease is around 196 million in 2020, increasing to 288 million in 2040.[5]

Reference:

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macular_degeneration
2. eyehealthweb.com/diseases/macular-degeneration
3. amdalliance.org/information_prevention.html
4. careyeasy.com/eye-care-news/grapes-may-help-prevent-amd
5. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214109X13701451#
6. vi.ie/supporting-you/everyday-living/eye-conditions/age-related-macular-degeneration-amd
7. verywellhealth.com/how-dry-amd-is-treated-5192080
8. rvaf.com/diseases/amddry
9. nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration

See also: How Age-Related Macular Degeneration Is Treated

Smoking is prevalent among teenagers now. All that is written on the cigarette is that cigarette smoking is injurious to health. What is not mentioned is that it is very harmful for human sight.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the main socioeconomical health issues worldwide. AMD has a multifactorial etiology with a variety of risk factors. Smoking is the most important modifiable risk factor for AMD development and progression. The present review summarizes the epidemiological studies evaluating the association between smoking and AMD, the mechanisms through which smoking induces damage to the chorioretinal tissues, and the relevance of advising patients to quit smoking for their visual health.

There is growing evidence of the effects of smoking on vision. And these effects can be very significant. Cigarette smoking enhances oxidants which are chemical byproducts in our body. Oxidants can damage cells, including those in the eyes. The links between smoking and eye diseases is strong, including cataracts and age related macular degeneration.

Believe it, smoking increases the chance of your getting blind by up to four times, due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is irreversible and is a progressive eye condition in which the central part of the retina (macula) is damaged.

Causes of Macular Degeneration

Once someone has been diagnosed with age related macular degeneration (AMD) or any disease for that matter, the mind starts asking questions like, how did I get this condition, what caused it or perhaps, could I have done something to prevent it?

There are many different factors that contribute to a person developing macular degeneration – some that can be controlled and some that cannot. eResearch by Navid Ajamin -- spring 2011

Here are the most common causes and risk factors:

1. Age
Macular degeneration is the number one cause of vision loss in the senior population. The older a person gets, the higher their risk of developing AMD. According to the National Eye Institute, ”a large study found that people in middle-age have about a 2 percent risk of getting AMD, but this risk increased to nearly 30 percent in those over age 75.”

2. Gender
Women are more likely to develop age related macular degeneration than men.

3. Race
It occurs in all races but it is more common in Caucasians.

4. Iris Color
The research shows that there is less pigment in blue eyes, and green eyes for that matter, than there is in brown eyes, so more light is able to penetrate blue eyes. This makes lighter eyes more sensitive to light and is what makes people with blue eyes more likely to have age-related macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is caused when the light sensitive cells in the eyes start to die, which can eventually result in blindness.

5. Heredity
My husband’s father has wet macular degeneration as well as did many of my husband’s aunts and uncles. The lifetime risk of developing late-stage macular degeneration is 50% for people who have a relative with macular degeneration versus 12% for people who’s relatives do not have macular degeneration (4x the risk).

6. Smoking
Smoking is the single most controllable risk factor that contributes to the development of macular degeneration. Every cigarette that is smoked causes damage to one’s vision. Smoking causes vasoconstriction or narrowing of the blood vessels which reduces the blood supply to the eyes. Smoking also creates free radicals which causes cellular damage while decreasing ones levels of antioxidants.

7. Diet Low in Dark Leafy Greens
A Harvard study done by Dr. Johanna Seddon in 1994 concluded that those who ate at least 5 servings of dark leafy greens per week had a 43% lower risk of developing AMD than those who ate small amounts or none at all. These lutein rich greens include kale, collard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, parsley, mustard greens, romaine lettuce and beet greens.

8. Diet Low in Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Thanks again to Dr. Seddon and her researchers at Harvard University, they discovered that people with diets of a 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids have less macular degeneration. Almost all of our processed foods and vegetable oils contain omega-6 which means that the average American gets way to much omega-6. Because omega 6 competes with omega 3, if we have too much omega-6 then the omega-3 we do take isn’t utilized properly.

9. High Blood Pressure
Dr. Michael A. Samuel the author of Macular Degeneration: A Complete Guide for Patients and Their Families writes “If you have high blood pressure that is fairly well controlled, you have double the risk of wet AMD compared to someone who does not have hypertension at all. If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure that goes above 160/90 you are three times more likely to develop wet AMD.” (Ophthalmology 2003;110: 636-643).

10. Exercise
Those with an active lifestyle were 70% less likely to develop macular degeneration than those who did little or no exercise according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin study that began in 1988, tracked almost 4,000 men and women (between the ages of 43-86) over a 15 year period by conducting regular eye tests and recording levels of exercise.

After accounting for other risk factors such as age, sex, history of arthritis, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, smoking, and education, those with a baseline active lifestyle of walking three times or more a week, were 70% less likely to develop macular degeneration than those who did little exercise.

Reference:

• blurtit.com
• pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3866712
• enhancedvision.com/low-vision-info/eye-conditions/causes-of-macular-degeneration.html

Basically, smoking is extremely bad for your health and apart from having effect on your teeth, lungs and heart it also has a terrible effect on your Eyes. You may think that smoking is no way related to your eyes and it cannot effect them at all. But you are wrong.

Smoking enhances the release of Oxidants. Oxidants are chemical byproducts that can damage your cells. Cells around the eye are quite vulnerable, even they get damaged in due course of time.

Smoking has long been known to cause heart disease and lung cancer; however many people don't realize that smoking can lead to vision loss. Studies show smoking increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy and Dry Eye Syndrome.

Macular Degeneration causes the deterioration of the retina of the eye. This may cause a gradual loss of vision. In non-smokers this is caused primarily due to age and also diabetes in some cases. But in smokers, it is more prevalent than non-smokers. Smokers are at twice the risk of Macular Degeneration than non-smokers. eResearch by Navid Ajamin -- autumn 2008

AMD is a multifactorial disease with age, systemic health, genetic and environmental risk factors influencing disease progression. The most important pathogenic factors leading up to AMD include oxidative stress, inflammation, and local production of angiogenic factors. A substantial body of literature suggests a role for oxidant injury to the RPE and local inflammation as putative mechanisms in the pathogenesis of AMD. However, to date, little is known about the molecular signal(s) linking oxidation to inflammation in this late-onset disease.

In AMD loss or dysfunction of retinal photoreceptors is the ultimate cause of vision loss. However, the initial pathogenic target of AMD is the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), Brusch’s membrane (BrM), and choriochapillaris. Clinical manifestations of AMD may present in early or a late form. In early AMD (commonly known as dry degeneration) (Fig.B), variuos lipic-derived and protein-rich extracellular deposits, known as drusen, accumulate under the RPE. Ultimately, early AMD can progress to the late form of the disease; geographic atrophy (commonly known as advanced dry AMD) (Fig.C) or neovascular AMD (commonly known as wet or exudative AMD) (Fig.D). Geographic atrophy is characterized by death of RPE and photoreceptors (Fig.C).

Figure 1.

Cataract is another problem that comes as a part of smoking side effects. A study observed that in America, smokers are 60% more susceptible to age related cataracts. Posterior Subcapsular Cataract is 2.6 times more common in heavy smokers. In this type of cataract the cataract appears on the inner surface of the lens of the eye.

Glaucoma There is a strong link between smoking and high blood pressure, cataracts and diabetes all of which are risk factors for glaucoma.

Diabetic Retinopathy
Smoking can increase your chances of getting diabetes. It can also make managing diabetes more difficult for those who already have it. Complications of diabetes made worse by smoking include retinopathy, heart disease, stroke, vascular disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, foot problems and many others.

Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry Eye Syndrome is more than twice as likely to impact smokers as non-smokers.

Eye Irritation

Non-smokers often complain of eye irritation when exposed to tobacco smoking.

Tobacco fumes irritate and inflame the conjunctiva, a thin and clear membrane that covers of the white part of the eye (conjunctivitis).

Often causing bloodshot eyes. Does that mean smokers are spared from this irritation of eyes?

Of course not. In fact, they are putting themselves under the barrage of the smoke every time they lit up that cigarette.

Strabismus

Strabismus, more commonly known as ‘crossed eye’, is a condition in which the eyes are not aligned properly.

In 2010, a study on smoking and pregnancy appeared in The American Journal of Epidemiology.

It is discovered that children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy have 38 percent higher risk of getting strabismus as compared to those who eschewed smoking while pregnant.

Smoking 10 or more cigarettes a day was associated with a 90 percent greater risk.

With every cigarette you smoke, you are deteriorating the condition of your eyes. Life is as black as your cigarette ash without eyes. Cigarettes are just not worth blindness. Make your mind and quit smoking today. Its now or never!

Reference:

• smoking.ygoy.com/2007/10/17/smoking-is-bad-for-your-eyes
• improveeyesighthq.com/smoking-and-eye.html
• health.ny.gov/prevention/tobacco_control
• intechopen.com/books