Smoking kills more than 7 million people worldwide each year, and many people are still unaware of the dangers of smoking to the heart. Beyond its impact on the respiratory system, smoking is also a factor that damages the eyes just like sunlight. We have heard a lot that smoking causes lung cancer, but how many people realize that smoking increases the risk of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and dry eye symptoms as well?
Normally, the toxins in cigarette smoke enter through the blood vessels that supply the eyes. When the eyes are exposed to toxins from cigarette smoke for a long time, it causes vision to deteriorate until blindness can occur. In addition, smoking causes blood vessels to narrow and leads to problems with blood circulation to various organs in the body, including the eyes. Reduced blood supply to the eyes causes a lack of oxygen and nutrients, and the most severe consequence is permanent vision loss.
As for age-related macular degeneration, the central area of the retina becomes blurred, and when the condition worsens, blood vessels under the retina may leak. Specialists say that people with vision loss due to smoking show no symptoms except through detailed examination. Such examinations help detect the disease at an early stage, and treatment can reduce the risk of blindness. Those who smoke about 10 cigarettes per day have a risk of cataracts three times higher than non-smokers.
Initial eye symptoms in smokers include seeing straight lines that appear to zigzag or fade, or blurred vision when looking at distant objects or text in front of them, making the image seem to float away. If these symptoms occur, one should immediately see an ophthalmologist.
Smoking harms our eyes and negatively affects other organs as well. Knowing the dangers of smoking, love your family, love yourself, and join the campaign to quit smoking.
