How Smoking Can Effect Your Eye Health

Smoking can have an impact on your eye health in many different ways.

smoking can cause:

  1. Cataracts

    • Smoking is a risk factor for the development of cataracts, which is the natural clouding of your lens.

  2. Age-Related Macular Degeneration

    • Smoking increases the risk of AMD which affects the macula, the central part of the retina.

  3. Dry Eye Syndrome

    • Smoking can contribute to dry eye syndrome, which is characterized by inadequate tear production or tears evaporating too quickly.

  4. Glaucoma

    • Smoking can increase the risk of developing glaucoma. High eye pressure is a risk factor for glaucoma, and smoking can cause your eye pressure to elevate.

  5. Diabetic Retinopathy

    • For people with diabetes, smoking can increase the risk of diabetic retinopathy. Which can damage the blood vessels in the retina, leading to vision problems.

  6. Optic Neuropathy

    • Smoking has been linked to non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a sudden loss of vision that can occur due to decreased blood flow to the optic nerve.

  7. Uveitis

    • Uveitis affects the middle layer of the eye, the uvea. This can lead to eye pain, redness, and blurred vision.

  8. Retinal Diseases

    • Smoking can contribute to the development of retinal vascular diseases.

Quitting smoking can significantly decrease the risks associated with these eye diseases.

Talk with your primary care doctor about ways of cutting back on smoking.

Regular eye exams are also very important for your eye health. if you are EXPERIENCING any symptoms, give us a call to make an appointment.

Arpita Bhasin