Hang Tough Don’t Puff: What Does Smoking Do To Your Eyes?

It is no surprise that smoking is responsible for a numerous amount of diseases and over 480,000 deaths per year in the United States alone. Age –related macular degeneration, cataracts, optic nerve damage and often blindness are just some of the effects smoking can cause. With 4,000 different toxic chemicals a single cigarette contains, the average smoker dies 10 years earlier than nonsmokers. If that does not convince you to put the cigarette down, maybe the facts below will.
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• Female Smokers over 80 years old are 5.5 times more likely to develop AMD that non-smokers the same age
• Children exposed to tobacco smoke have a 20% greater chance of developing allergic conjunctivitis
• Smokers are four times more likely to go blind in old age
• Studies suggest people who live with a smoker double their risk of developing AMD
• Cataracts is the leading cause of vision loss
• People who smoke double their risk of developing cataracts
• Everyday more than 3,200 people 18 or younger smoke their first cigarette
• Women who smoke while they are pregnant have higher risks of giving premature birth, and risk of the baby developing crossed eyed.
• Smokers are 2.2 times more likely than non-smokers to develop Uveitis ( inflammation of the eye’s middle layer)
• Smoking harms eye tissue and has been associated with 25% of age-related macular degeneration
• The more you smoke the higher risk of severe vision loss and possible blindness

If these facts aren’t enough to convince you to put the cigarette down, perhaps the following disease caused by tobacco abuse will.
smoking trashcans
Dry Eye: Tobacco is known to worsen and cause dry eye syndrome. Second-hand smoke also may affect people, but smokers are twice as likely to suffer from dry eyes.

Uveitis: This eye disease is inflammation of the eye’s middle layer which harms the eyes structure including the iris and retina. Smokers are 2.2 times more likely to develop Uveitis.

Diabetic Retinopathy:Can cause loss of vision and damaged blood vessels.Smokers double their risks of diabetes.

Smoking and Infant Eye Disease: Smoking while pregnant can cause many complications during child birth, from strabismus or crossed eyes, to premature birth.Strabismus leads to a blinding disease.

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A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT DR. BRIAN

Throughout his highly respected career, cornea specialist Dr. Brian has never wavered with his integrity and dedication to always do the best for each and every patient - even in the face of adversity and peer pressure. Case in point: when he developed a procedure to treat a cornea condition known as Keratoconus. While other eye surgeons were entrenched in performing invasive and painful cornea transplants, Dr. Brian invented a new non-invasive procedure that prevented needing cornea transplants. He was shocked by the medical establishment being unwelcoming to his innovation because, as he later found out, his new procedure was preventing other eye surgeons from performing their lucrative cornea transplants. Dr. Brian persisted, went against the grain and didn’t give up because he believed in himself and in his procedure as it was in the best interest of patients. Eventually, he crossed paths with U.S. Olympic bobsled driver Steven Holcomb who had Keratoconus and became so depressed over it that he tried to commit suicide. Luckily, he survived. The United States Olympic team and his coaches found Dr. Brian and sent Steven to see him. Dr. Brian restored his vision to 20/20 which enabled Steven later win a historic Olympic gold medal for United States in bobsled - the first in 62 years! As a result, Dr. Brian was later invited to give a prestigious TEDx talk about his integrity and dedication to patients. You can watch his moving and inspiring TEDx talk here.

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