It is well known that smoking is bad for your health; doctors and scientists have divulged numerous studies on this and continually recommend to stop. It is a vice that has no advantages, but only brings problems. Smoking damages the heart, the cardiovascular system, the skin, can cause various types of cancer and also affects vision. Here are 5 eye problems that you shouldn’t underestimate caused by this widespread habit.
How the eye is made
The orbital cavity of the skull contains and protects the eyeball. The latter is a sphere covered by three membranes, called tunics. The fibrous outer tunic is composed of the cornea, a convex cap with a regular and transparent shape, and the sclera, the white part of the eye.
The middle tunic is rich in blood vessels and contains the iris, which is the colored part of the eye, the ciliary body, which has the muscles that modify the shape of the lens and the choroid, which irrigates all the tunics.
The internal one, finally, covers the back of the bulb and is called the retina. It is made up of nerve cells that transmit information to the brain via the optic nerve. The central part of the retina is called the macula and is responsible for sharp and detailed vision. Then there are the attached structures, namely the eyelids and the lacrimal glands.
Here are 5 eye problems that you shouldn’t underestimate caused by this widespread habit
Cigarette smoking has several negative effects on eye health, these are the main affections:
- dry eye syndrome is an alteration of the tear film necessary to keep the eye lubricated and healthy. The symptoms are: redness, itching and a foreign body sensation. Smokers are twice as likely to suffer from it, especially if they wear contact lenses;
- cataract is clouding of the lens and causes blurred vision, faded colors and reduced night vision. Smoking doubles the risk of developing this disease, which is tripled in heavy smokers. Heavy metals, such as lead and copper, contained in cigarette smoke collect in the crystalline, opacifying it;
- retinopathy is a condition that affects the retina, damaging blood vessels and can cause loss of vision. It affects diabetic patients more often, because they are more likely to suffer damage to the structures of the eye. Smoking increases the risk of diabetes by 30-40% and increases the progression of the disease;
- macular degeneration is a pathology that damages central vision, essential for carrying out daily activities. It usually affects older people, but smokers are 3 times more likely to develop it, even 10 years earlier;
- women who smoke during pregnancy transmit toxins to the placenta. This condition increases the risk of developing eye diseases in the unborn child, such as: strabismus, retinopathy, underdevelopment of the optic nerve and even blindness.
Cigarette smoking, therefore, also causes eye problems with consequences that can become very serious. Quitting smoking is never too late, it is advisable to do so even in old age: it will help to live better and recover well-being.