How Smoking Impacts Eye Health

It is common knowledge that smoking can lead to many health issues. However, most people are unaware of how it can impact their eye health. Our eye doctors at Chapel Hills Vision Clinic in Colorado Springs have put together a few eye conditions that can be affected by smoking.

1. Dry Eye Syndrome

Smokers typically experience dry eyes more than nonsmokers. Dry eye syndrome is a condition that leads to itchiness, burning, and scratchy eyes.

2. Cataracts

Smokers are at an increased risk for cataracts. Cataracts are cloudiness in the eye's lens that causes blurriness. They also make colors appear faded and dull. Unfortunately, cataracts must be removed through surgery.

3. Uveitis

Uveitis is inflammation of the uvea or the middle layer of the eye. This disease impacts other parts of the eye as well, including the retina and iris. Over time, uveitis can lead to complete vision loss.

4. Glaucoma

Glaucoma impacts the eye's nerve cells, causing them to break down and die over time. It can affect your vision so slowly that the sufferer does not even notice until significant damage has been done. Vision loss with glaucoma typically starts with your side vision.

5. Diabetic Retinopathy

Smoking is known to increase the possibility of diabetes and worsen related issues. Diabetic retinopathy is one of those issues. It attacks the eye's blood vessels, causing them to break down or leak and negatively impact your vision.

6. Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, causes blind spots in one's vision by attacking the retina's center. It is one of the biggest causes of vision loss in those 65 and older.

How to Fight Smoking-Related Vision Loss

There are two major steps toward slowing and preventing vision loss caused by smoking: quit smoking and see your eye doctor regularly.

Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is typically much easier said than done, but you do not have to do it alone. Speak to your doctor for tools and resources that can help.

See an Eye Care Specialist

Seeing your optometrist regularly is important for everyone, especially smokers. Getting an eye exam can help diagnose current and potential issues and build a basis for achieving optimal eye health.

Contact Our Optometrists in Colorado Springs, CO

If you are a smoker, be sure to keep eye care as a top priority. Call our team at Chapel Hills Vision Clinic today at (719) 599-5083 to schedule an appointment with one of our eye doctors.