Smoking Can Cause Irreversible Eye Damage
Smoking can damage several tissues and organ systems in the body, and the eyes are no exception.
Toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke enter the bloodstream and damage sensitive tissues in the retina, lens, and macula of the eye. That increases the risk of developing conditions like macular degeneration and glaucoma, which cause irreversible vision loss.
The Link Between Smoking and Eye Damage
Smoking tobacco introduces various toxic compounds into the body that trigger inflammation in the eyes and across the body. Nicotine also raises blood pressure and heart rate, which can restrict the tiny blood vessels in the eye. This can lead to fluid buildup in the retina, damage to the optic nerve, and an increased risk of glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Even after people quit smoking, the base membrane of the retina remains damaged, and the very fine blood vessels there stay constricted, said Gregg Feinerman, MD, a board-certified eye surgeon and owner of Feinerman Vision.
This can enable waste products to build up under the retina, which can cause dry AMD to progress to the more severe wet AMD.2 Current smokers also tend to be less responsive to AMD treatments.
Genetics plays a role in up to 70% of AMD cases,3 and smoking can further raise the risk of macular degeneration in people with certain genetic traits. According to the Macular Society, a third of all AMD cases involve a combination of genetics and smoking.4
Macular Society. Smoking and sight loss.
“You can’t control your genetics, so you have to think about the things you can control,” said Taariq Mohammed, MD, assistant professor and vitreoretinal surgeon at the University of Maryland. “How much smoking increases the risk may vary a little bit by person. But regardless of your genetic profile at baseline, it makes sense to decrease or stop smoking as much as possible.”
Handling cigarettes can also cause surface-level damage to the eyes. Tar and nicotine on your hands can contaminate contact lenses, which can cause a burning sensation and dryness in the eyes, said Jacquie Bowen, OD, president of the American Optometric Association.
Constant irritation on the surface of the eye can increase the risk of developing cataracts, as well as dry eye and uveitis, or redness and inflammation of the iris.
Secondhand Smoke Can Also Damage the Eye
In addition to the systemic damage of smoking, handling cigarettes and being surrounded by smoke can cause eye irritation.
“The tar and nicotine can contaminate your contacts when you handle your lenses and give your eyes a burning sensation and contribute to dry eyes,” said Bowen.
A study from Hong Kong shows that young children who are exposed to secondhand smoke exhibit signs of damage to a part of the eye that supplies the retina with blood. Secondhand exposure to just one cigarette a day showed an effect.
People who smoke during pregnancy can also transmit toxins to the placenta, which increases the risk of fetal and infant eye disorders.7 Those include crossed eyes and underdevelopment of the optic nerve, which is a leading cause of blindness in children, Bowen said. Smoking during pregnancy can also cause premature birth, which raises the risk for vision problems in babies.
“The retina isn’t very good at regenerating itself once damaged, so any period of smoking during a person’s lifetime will contribute to the risk of developing AMD,” Bowen said. “Those people need to be especially consistent in having an eye exam.”
