Smoking can cause blindness

(Baonghean) - Smoking not only causes cardiovascular disease, lung disease, cancer... but also affects the eyes. Smokers are 4 times more likely to go blind than non-smokers.

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The leading cause of cataracts

Cataract is a clouding of the lens, preventing light from passing through. As a result, the retina cannot receive images and vision is impaired, leading to blindness. The main cause of this disease is lack of oxygen and reduced protein.

Nitric oxide produced when smoking will combine with hemoglobin in red blood cells, the combination rate of these two substances can be up to 15 - 20% when smoking a pack of cigarettes. This rate only needs to reach 5% to greatly reduce the oxygen transport capacity of red blood cells, causing your retina to be likely to lack oxygen, anemia, and malnutrition. In addition, smoking leads to the accumulation of heavy metals such as cadmium in the lens. The more cigarettes you smoke, the more likely you are to develop cataracts.

uveitis

Uveitis (inflammation of the middle layer of the eye) is a very serious eye disease that can lead to complete loss of vision. Important structures of the eye are damaged, including the iris and retina, and can even lead to complications such as cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal detachment.

Smoking increases the risk of uveitis by 2.2 times compared to non-smokers. Dry eye syndrome is characterized by insufficient tears on the surface of the eye, losing the amount of water needed to keep the eye lubricated and healthy. When the eye is dry, it leads to red, itchy, gritty eyes and even excessive tearing. Cigarette smoke is an eye irritant and makes the eye drier.

Macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is a deterioration of the central part of the retina, causing the eye to lose sharpness, color, and clarity. People with macular degeneration will see blurriness, distortions, or blind spots in their central vision. Doctors believe that smoking promotes macular degeneration by affecting blood flow to the retina. Smoking also increases the harmful effects of oxidation on the cells of the macula.

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