Globally smoking remains a leading cause of death, we all know very well the consequences of tobacco smoke, but most of us are unaware that it can also disturb your eyes and in rare cases, it can also lead to vision loss. Usually when smoking the toxins will be inhaled and distributed to your entire body even in the eye as well. Your internal eyes are not only affected by smoking, but it can also affect the tissues around the eyes. Further, let’s dive into this blog to know what are the eye diseases associated with smoking.
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Who is at high risk?
– Diabetes:
Individuals who have diabetes are at high risk, they can easily develop diabetic retinopathy, which occurs when the blood vessels in the eyes get damaged. If you are already suffering from dry eye try to stay away from smoking, because you may lack tears already and when smoking it will increase dryness and eye irritation, in such cases consider visiting the best ophthalmologist in Coimbatore to safeguard your eyes from further damage.
– Pregnant women:
Especially when you are pregnant, avoid smoking because there are a lot of chances for giving in preterm birth and even a baby can also suffer from visual disorders like retinopathy of prematurity. This disorder will occur when the blood vessels in the baby’s retina have not been completely developed, which can also result in retinal detachment, and, in very rare cases, blindness can also occur. Further, if the mother smokes when pregnant, the infant is up to 5 times more likely to get meningitis, along with eye infections.
– Children:
Exposure to smoke can also affect children. Going in tobacco smoke in active or passive smokers is the primary threat to eye health. Even, studies have found that even by the age of 6, kids can develop eye-related problems caused by smoking. As a result, their choroid will get thin, and vision is also at risk.
What are the eye disorders caused by smoking?
Tobacco smoke is completely made up of toxins that are harmful to the body, thus when inhaling those toxins it can lead to complex health issues. Those toxins will go from the lungs into the bloodstream, spreading these toxic substances throughout the body, notably to our eyes. Smoking can trigger several types of eye infections and diseases like:
– Cataracts:
Cataracts due to smoking can develop at any age, even cataracts are more common among smokers, causing blurred and opaque vision and surgery is the only treatment option.
– Dry eyes:
This occurs when your eyes fail to produce sufficient tears. Smoking will potentially increase your signs of this pathology because causes of smoking make eye irritation and eye dryness.
– Age-related macular degeneration (AMD):
When smoking for a long time there are more chances of developing AMD, in this condition certain parts of the retina, that is, the macula, are affected and this causes a loss of vision. Unfortunately, there is no proper cure for this condition, and can cause complex visual disturbances. However, there is a treatment option available to stop this disease from further development.
– Diabetic retinopathy:
Individuals with diabetes can easily develop diabetic retinopathy. This happens when the retina’s blood vessels are damaged. Further, the treatment options to control this disease include laser treatment, injected medication, or even surgery.
– Issues in the optic nerves:
Even your nerves will also get disturbed when smoking, those nerves are linked to the eye with the brain and will result in blindness.
– Thyroid orbitopathy:
As the name indicates, thyroid orbitopathy affects the thyroid gland and results in bulging eyes or exophthalmos. Further, the prognosis of the disease is adverse in OT patients who smoke.
– Uveitis:
Even smoking can also result in uveitis, this inflammation will occur in the middle layer of the eyes known as the uvea. Eventually, the eyes will become red and cause pain and vision loss can also take place.
How you can protect your eyes?
Fortunately, once you quit smoking, you can get relief from certain eye disorders. Apart from quitting smoking and avoiding going in spaces where tobacco smoke is present, there are a few tips that you can follow to safeguard your eyes:
- Often blink your eyes to prevent your eyes from becoming dry or getting irritated.
- Protect your eyes from UV rays by using sunglasses.
- Practice giving rest to your eyes after performing activities like using mobiles, reading, etc.
- Consume a healthy diet to maintain good visual health, and never fail to maintain good eye hygiene.
- The next effective way to prevent yourself from eye disorders is to keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose in control
- Also consider getting an annual check-up from the best eye hospital in Coimbatore, to safeguard yourself from further complications.
Final Thoughts:
In conclusion, we can say that, as you think, smoking is not just a habit, because it has a direct connection with several other serious health issues, and obviously your eyes are no exception. Right from surging the risk of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration to fostering conditions such as uveitis and diabetic retinopathy, smoking affects your eyes in different ways. Simply, the toxic chemicals present in tobacco will affect the delicate eye tissues and disturb blood flow, resulting in a preventable decline in vision. Also, keep in mind that quitting smoking can stop further damage and greatly improve your eye health over time.