Smoking affects our vision as well. Why does the smell of smoke, the allure of the cool thin models make it look like cigarettes have any beneficial factors at all?
Whether you're buying regular glasses or the latest in cool shades, be sure the lenses block harmful rays. Many prescription lenses now come with built-in protection, but if not, anti-UV coatings are available. Your optometrist or optician can guide you and also may be able to do a quick test to see if your current eyewear is UV-proof.
What's on your plate can also help your vision. Make a habit of eating fruits and veggies rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. Corn and dark, leafy greens are good sources. Vitamins A, C, and E, as well as zinc have been shown to protect eye health, too.
Finally, if you still smoke, this might help you quit: Lighting up more than 20 cigarettes a day doubles the risk of macular degeneration.
Macular degeneration is a disease that damages the eyes and causes vision loss. It is one of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness in Americans over age 65, and is often referred to as age-related or adult macular degeneration (AMD). There is no cure for AMD, and treatment is extremely limited.
The macula is the part of the eye that makes it possible to see the fine detail needed for reading, driving, and recognizing faces. AMD causes the macula to malfunction or deteriorate. The result is loss of sight in the center of the visual field; fortunately, peripheral vision is rarely affected.
Risk Factors
Most cases of AMD are due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In addition to age, research points to several traits and habits associated with an increased risk of AMD, including:
- Family history
- Fair skin or light-colored eyes
- Smoking
- Hypertension
- Exposure to sunlight
- Cataract surgery
Any factor that increases the presence of free radicals also increases risk for macular degeneration. Free radicals are naturally produced when your body processes food for energy. They can also result from other stresses on the body, such as exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun, smoking, and environmental pollution. Free radicals are unstable molecules that may cause damage to DNA and other molecules. Over time, this damage may lead to AMD or many other diseases, such as cancer.
In addition, any factor that undermines the circulatory system increases risk for macular degeneration. The macula needs a rich blood supply, therefore any interference with it, such as smoking or a sedentary lifestyle, can increase risk of AMD.
Once again if you read my articles you will see that my interest in writing is to empower you the reader to do whatever you can to control and prevent general medical situations. We will all get colds, flu’s and in this lifetime probably some other kind of general medicine concern. But, the goal here is to realize if you smoke – STOP. And while you are stopping, add some veggies to your plate.
