When you smoke cigarettes, you can damage important parts of your eyes necessary for maintaining clear eyesight and vision. This damage can make your vision cloudy, reduce your field of vision, or even cause you to lose your eyesight completely.

Smoking cigarettes can affect your:

• Retina: The delicate, light-sensitive tissue that lines the inside of the eye.
• Lens: The clear part of the eye that allows light to pass to the retina and allows the eye to focus on objects at varying distances.
• Macula: The most sensitive part of the retina and is the part of the eye that supplies sharp vision.

Yes, smoking cigarettes can cause eye diseases that can lead to vision loss and blindness. Smoking cigarettes can put you at greater risk of developing two serious eye diseases:

• Cataracts: Clouding of the eye’s normally clear lens, causing loss of vision.
• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): Gradual destruction of the eye’s macula, which can lead to loss of vision in the center of the eye.

People who smoke cigarettes are two to three times more likely to develop cataracts and up to four times more likely to develop AMD than people who don’t smoke.

Smoking cigarettes can cause two serious eye diseases: cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Symptoms of these eye diseases related to smoking include:

Cataracts:

• Cloudy or blurry vision
• Colors that seem faded
• Sensitivity to light
• Trouble seeing at night
• Double vision

AMD:

• Loss of the central vision you need to see details straight ahead
• Blurry or wavy areas in your central vision
• Having a hard time recognizing faces
• Needing more light to read or do other tasks in front of you

You should be aware that in the early stages of both eye diseases you may experience no symptoms at all. It’s important to get eye exams on a regular basis to increase the chances of catching and treating these conditions as early as possible. 

Yes, smoking cigarettes can cause cataracts. People who smoke cigarettes are two to three times more likely to develop cataracts than people who don’t smoke. 

A cataract is the clouding of the eye’s lens, which is normally clear. Cataracts cause loss of vision because the clouding prevents light from passing through the lens to the retina. 

Most cataracts develop slowly over the course of years and the risk for developing cataracts goes up as you get older. Smoking further increases your chance of developing cataracts.

You may not notice symptoms of cataracts at first. But as cataracts worsen, they can affect your ability to see clearly. 

Yes, smoking cigarettes can cause AMD.People who smoke cigarettes are up to four times more likely to develop AMD than people who don’t smoke.

The retina is the delicate, light-sensitive tissue that lines the inside of the eye. AMD is an eye disease that affects your macula, the most sensitive part of the retina and the part of the eye that supplies sharp vision.

When you develop AMD, it gradually destroys the macula and can ultimately lead to loss of vision in the center of the eye. This can make it difficult to see or do things in front of you, such as recognize faces, read, drive, or perform chores around the house.

AMD can progress quickly or slowly, depending on the person and their risk. Your risk for developing AMD goes up as you get older and is higher if you smoke cigarettes.

Since AMD is a common condition, especially in older adults, and you may not notice symptoms for a long time, it is important to have regular eye exams.

More research is needed to find out whether smoking cigarettes can cause ophthalmopathy associated with Graves’ disease. Graves’ ophthalmopathy, also known as Graves’ eye disease or thyroid eye disease, can cause irritation, sensitivity, double vision, and other symptoms in the eyes as a result of an overactive thyroid caused by Graves’ disease.

The data from research conducted on the relationship between smoking and Graves’ ophthalmopathy is not strong enough to conclude that smoking is a cause of thyroid eye disease. However, some evidence suggests that smoking cigarettes can put you at an increased risk for Graves’ eye disease if you have Graves’ disease. Since the role of smoking in Graves’ ophthalmopathy is unclear, more research is needed. 

More research is needed to find out whether smoking cigarettes can cause the onset or progression of retinopathy in people with diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy affects the blood vessels in your retina, the delicate, light-sensitive tissue that lines the inside of the eye, and can cause vision loss and blindness in people who have diabetes. 

More research is needed to find out whether smoking cigarettes can cause glaucoma. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging a nerve in the back of your eye called the optic nerve. 

The data from research conducted on the relationship between smoking and glaucoma does not tell us whether smoking is a cause of glaucoma. 

You can lower your risk of developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration by quitting smoking cigarettes.

It can be overwhelming to experience changes in your vision. If you smoke cigarettes and are concerned about your eyesight, speak with your health care provider and schedule an eye exam.

Overview of Smoking and Eyesight

Smoking is as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body. If you smoke, you can develop serious eye conditions that can cause vision loss or blindness. Two of the greatest threats to your eyesight are:

• Macular degeneration
• Cataracts

Macular degeneration, also called age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is an eye disease that affects central vision. You need central vision to see objects clearly and for common tasks such as reading, recognizing faces, and driving.

There are two forms of AMD: dry AMD and wet AMD. Macular degeneration always begins in the dry form, and sometimes progresses to the more advanced wet form, where vision loss can be very rapid if untreated.

Cataracts cause blurry vision that worsens over time. Without surgery, cataracts can lead to serious vision loss. The best way to protect your sight from damage linked to smoking is to quit or never start smoking.

Symptoms of Eye Diseases Related to Smoking

You may think your eyes are fine, but the only way to know for sure is by getting a full eye exam. AMD often has no early symptoms, so an eye exam is the best way to spot this eye disease early. An eye specialist will place special drops in your eyes to widen your pupils. This offers a better view of the back of your eye, where a thin layer of tissue (the retina) changes light into signals that go to the brain. The macula is a small part of the retina that you need for sharp, central vision.

When symptoms of AMD do occur, they can include:

• Blurred vision or a blurry spot in your central vision
• The need for more light to read or do other tasks
• Straight lines that look wavy
• Trouble recognizing faces

Eye injections are often the preferred treatment for wet AMD. Your doctor can inject a drug to stop the growth of these blood vessels and stop further damage to your eyes. You may need injections on a regular basis to save your vision.

How Does Smoking Affect Your Eyes?

Smoking causes changes in the eyes that can lead to vision loss. If you smoke:

• You are twice as likely to develop AMD compared with a people who do not smoke.
• You are two to three times more likely to develop cataracts compared with a people who do not smoke.

How Can You Prevent Vision Loss Related to Smoking?

If you smoke, stop. Quitting may lower your risk for both AMD and cataracts.,

If you already have AMD, quitting smoking may slow the disease. AMD tends to get worse over time. Quitting smoking is something within your control that may help save your sight. Other healthy habits may also help protect your eyes from cataracts and AMD:

• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
• Eat a healthy diet rich in green, leafy vegetables and fish.
• Wear sunglasses and a hat with a brim to protect your eyes from sunlight.