We experience the world using our five senses and of these five senses it is vision that most people value the most.
The eys designed to capture and analyse light consists of important components that include the cornea, lens, iris, retina, macula and optic nerve. These allow a person to recognize different shapes, colours and dimensions of objects in space.
Used for everyday activities from reading and writing, driving, working and watching TV the eyes can however be damaged from smoking cigarettes which over time can affect the overall quality of vision.
Cataracts and Macular Degeneration are eye disorders which are generally age related, however while aging is the primary factor resulting in cataracts and macular degeneration, smoking cigarettes can increase your risk of developing Nuclear Cataracts found in smokers and macular degeneration.
Causes:
It is believed that free radicals are responsible for the formation of cataracts which result in the breakdown of protein fibers and then protein clumping together and clouding the lens and blocking out light that is focused on the retina.
Cataracts are treatable and cataract surgery is commonplace with a 90% success rate at restoring a patient's vision and with few surgery complications.
MACULAR DEGENERATION AND VISION LOSS
The macular is a part of the retina and is responsible for clear central vision needed for reading, driving etc and colour vision. Age Related Macular Degeneration is a disease that results from the degeneration of the macula and results in blurred images in central vision, dimness of vision and difficulty in reading and seeing objects up close.
Normal Vision
Vision with Cataracts
Normal Vision
Vision with Macular Degeneration
Causes:
Again it is free radicals that are responsible for the two forms of macular degeneration. The dry form is the result of macular cells becoming thinner and breaking down. The wet or neovascular form is the results from new blood vessels growing under the macula and leaking fluids and causing the nearby cells to die.
There is no cure for dry or wet macular degeneration and the disease may progress even with treatment.
How Smoking Causes Vision Loss
The chemicals found in cigarettes increase the number of free radicals and also decrease the number of antioxidants which protect against free radicals and it is estimated that smokers who smoke 15 or more cigarettes a day have up to three times the risk of developing cataracts and have double the risk of developing macular degeneration later in life.
Additionally:
- Smoking causes vasoconstriction reducing the blood supply to the eye and also reduces the oxygen levels within the blood supply.
- Smoking reduces macular pigment density which protects the macular from UV lights.
- Tar in cigarette smoke results in the build up of deposits within the retina which can cause macular degeneration.
The consequences of smoking long term affect nearly every organ within the human body, reduce life expectancy by 7-30 years and result in 1 in 10 deaths globally. To avoid vision loss or any one of the 32 different diseases and illnesses that result from smoking: Quit smoking cigarettes.
Smoking and Vision Loss | Cataracts and Macular Degeneration
Articles
CATARACTS AND VISION LOSS
The lens of the eye which is made mostly of protein and water acts like a filter allowing light to enter into the eye and become focused on the retina. A cataract is a clouding of the eyes natural lens and results in blurry vision, loss of night vision and difficulty judging distances.
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