Smoking Damages Vision

A recent study provides yet another reason for smokers to kick the habit: Smoking damages your vision. The study, published in Psychiatry Research, found that smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day can cause eye damage.

There were 71 healthy participants in the study who ranged in age from 25 and 45 and smoked fewer than 15 cigarettes in their lives and 63 participants who had smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day and had made no attempt to quit smoking.

Researchers discovered that the smokers had significant changes in their red-green and blue-yellow color vision and that they also had a lesser ability to determine contrast and color when compared to the non-smoking counterparts. 

The study results add to information from previous studies which demonstrated that long-term smoking doubles the risk for developing age-related macular degeneration as well as yellowing of the lens and inflammation of the eye.

Stopping smoking today is the most important risk factor that you can eliminate to reduce your risk of developing macular degeneration.