Cigarette Smoking Impairs Vision

We all know smoking cigarettes is harmful. Cigarette smoke can impair our health, from increasing our cancer risk and delaying wound healing to upping our risk of heart disease. Now you can add vision problems to that list as well.

It is suggested that heavy smokers tend to get more smoke in their eyes, which negatively affects these individual’s ability to distinguish colors and contrast. Smokers tend to experience significant changes in their ability to recognize red-blue and blue-yellow vision systems.

This latest study expanded on previous smaller studies that were unable to draw conclusions, but did show some link between heavy smoking and changes to vision.

The current study looked at non-smokers and chronic smokers. The researchers noted that visual processing impairments were more pronounced in the smoking group. The authors noted, “Self-administered consumption of substances containing neurotoxic chemicals may be responsible for an overall color vision loss.” Additional research is required to better determine smoking’s effect on the “reduction of blood flow in the retina, oxidative stress, and even nutrient absorption.”

The latest findings lend more evidence to the importance of smoking cessation. If you have tried to quit previously but failed, there is still hope that you can live a smoke-free life. There are several different resources available for you to try. Eventually, you will succeed in quitting smoking.

Also read:

• How to improve vision: 11 home remedies to improve eye health
• Top foods to boost your eyesight and vision