While most of us know that smoking tobacco can lead to serious health issues, including cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and many other health issues, many do not know that it can also lead to serious eye problems.
Tobacco toxins and chemicals can damage your blood vessels inside your eyes, interfere with the production of tears, and damage your retina. It can also lead to many other eye diseases, including the following:
Cataracts
The risk of developing cataracts is much higher in smokers than in non-smokers. The term “Cataract” refers to the eye’s lens that becomes clouded over time. It is often compared to a window that is frosted, steamed, or yellowed. Conditions, including diabetes, trauma, and smoking, may cause cataract symptoms to develop early in life.
Dry Eyes
Smoking also increases your chance of developing dry eye syndrome. Dry eye is a condition in which you are not able to produce enough tears to keep your eyes healthy and comfortable. Tobacco smoke is an eye irritant and will worsen dry eye or cause dry eye over time. Those who smoke are two times more likely to have dry eyes.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, especially for older people. And smoking is one of the major risk factors in the development of glaucoma. Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve. The optic nerve carries the images we see to the brain. Many people know that glaucoma has something to do with the pressure inside the eye. The higher the pressure inside the eye, the greater the chance of damage to the optic nerve. Loss of sight from glaucoma is often preventable if you get treatment early enough.
Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is damage or breakdown of the macula. The macula is a small area at the back of the eye that allows us to see fine details clearly. When the macula does not function correctly, we experience blurriness or darkness in the center of our vision. Smoking is one of the main risk factors that contribute to the development of macular degeneration.
Quitting smoking is one of the top ways you can care for your eye health. The other way to stay on top of your eye health is with regular checkups at Illinois Eye Center. We encourage you to call and schedule you routine eye exams with your eye care provider. Have an urgent issue or need to be seen today for a routine eye exam, call us or walk in to be see in our EyeCareToday clinic. EyeCareToday is located at our Peoria office, provides same-day access to eye care for patients ages 5 years and older with acute/urgent eye conditions, or for routine vision exams.
EyeCareToday is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 am – 3:30 pm at our Peoria location. Call ahead at (309) 243-2400 to schedule your eye appointment or walk-in to be seen.