CLEAR-EYED REASONS TO QUIT SMOKING

Every year, on 31 May, the World Health Organisation and partners mark World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health and other risks associated with tobacco use, and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. As well as having a direct impact on eye health and quality of vision, tobacco use is one of the major risk factors for the development of coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease, all of which can affect the eyes.
 
The good news is that smoking is the most preventable cause of vision loss. Even someone with a long history of smoking can significantly reduce the risk of health complications by quitting. For example, giving up smoking reduces the risk of macular degeneration by six percent after just one year, and it also reduces the risk of developing cataracts.
 
The harmful effects of smoking on the eyes include:

• biological changes in the eyes that can lead to vision loss;
• damage to the delicate blood vessels in the eyes caused by tobacco chemicals;
• interference with the production of tears;
• decreased amount of oxygen and nutrients reaching the macula due to compromised blood flow;
• increase in the risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of irreversible vision loss;
• development of AMD up to 5 years earlier than non-smokers;
• increased risk of cataracts;
• increased risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, damage to the blood vessels of the eye;
• risk of faster progression of diabetic retinopathy;
• increased risk of dry eye syndrome, a cause of eye irritation in elderly people;
• increased risk of developing thyroid eye disease;
• increased prevalence of colour vision deficiency;
• risk twice as high as normal to develop uveitis.

As well as its impact on the eye health of smokers, smoking affects those around them, so-called passive smokers, increasing their risk of developing certain eye conditions which could lead to vision loss and compromised quality of vision.
 
It is not all doom and gloom! Research indicates that stopping smoking improves the chances of avoiding certain eye diseases and slowing down the progression of others, and the risks tend to decrease the longer one has not smoked. If you are a smoker (or a quitter!) and notice changes in your vision, make an appointment to see your optometrist for a comprehensive eye examination. The sooner problems are detected the sooner they can be managed, and further deterioration prevented.