How Smoking Impacts Vision

Smoking can have a profound impact on the health of your entire body – and your eyes are no exception. In fact, smokers are up to four times more likely to develop macular degeneration than nonsmokers. Even those who have only been exposed to second-hand smoke see their risks double for this particular degenerative vision disorder.
In addition to macular degeneration, smoking increases risks for:

• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Diabetic retinopathy

Many of the vision problems linked to smoking result from the vascular constriction caused by nicotine itself. This means that even smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes increase your risks for vision problems.

Dallas eye doctor Dain Brooks strongly encourages our patients to quit smoking to help protect their visual health. While this may be accomplished through nicotine replacement therapies such as patches, gum, or even e-cigarettes, ceasing all nicotine intake is the best protection against smoking-related vision disorders. However, quitting may not undo all damage done and it is very important that both smokers and former smokers maintain routine vision screenings after the age of 50.

If you are experiencing any changes to your vision and would like to schedule an examination, please contact Brooks Eye Associates today. Our eye doctor serves Dallas and surrounding areas from our conveniently located Plano office.