About 28.3 million people in the United States smoke cigarettes. Smoking causes disability and disease and damages almost every organ system in the body. We’ve known for decades that smoking can cause health problems and damage the eyes, but the combination of smoking and vaping can pose a heightened threat to eye tissues.

How Are E-Cigarettes Different Than Cigarettes?

Regular tobacco cigarettes contain more than 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic. E-cigarettes heat nicotine from tobacco, flavorings and chemicals to create an aerosol. Vaping is more popular among young people. Reports indicate, however, that 40 percent of high school and middle school students use two or more tobacco products.

“Vaping has risks that are different from smoking,” said J. Kevin McKinney, MD. “Vaping solutions often have much higher nicotine levels than cigarettes. While they do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, they do have other chemicals with known and unknown negative effects. We are still learning the type and magnitude of the risks of e-cigarettes.”

Study Reports More Severe Symptoms for Dual Users

A recent study found that young people who smoke and vape are more likely to experience pain, redness, dryness, blurred vision, headaches and sensitivity to light. Symptoms were worse for adolescents and young adults who smoked both cigarettes and e-cigarettes, compared with those who only smoked one type.

The study examined more than 4,000 people aged 13-24 about their smoking habits in the last month, week or ever. About 900 participants said they smoked cigarettes and/or vaped in the last week.

Among the respondents who vaped, 55.9 percent said they also used cigarettes. Dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes had more frequent and severe eye symptoms compared to users of only one type of product.

The research team suspects that eye issues caused by vaping and cigarettes are being caused by oxidative damage. When combustion occurs in cigarettes and the e-cigarette solvent propylene glycol, the reaction creates free radicals, causing oxidative stress, which damages the eye surface.

The findings of this study were observational and cannot confirm that dual use definitely causes eye damage, but they do provide additional strong reasons to stop smoking or never begin the habit.

Smoking and Vaping Can Worsen Existing Eye Conditions

If you have eye problems presently, smoking or vaping could exacerbate them. Here are some eye issues that could get worse with the use of cigarettes or e-cigarettes:

1. Dry eye — Smoking can leave your eyes feeling more irritated, scratchy or stinging.
2. Diabetic retinopathy — Smokers who have diabetes are more likely to damage the blood vessels of the eyes, which causes blurred vision and vision loss.
3. Cataracts — Smoking increases oxidative stress, which may cause cataracts to form more quickly.
4. Optic nerve problems — Smoking can damage the optic nerve, which sends visual images to the brain. Glaucoma is a family of diseases characterized by optic nerve damage.
5. Macular degeneration — This is a problem with the central retina, the part of the eye that allows us to see images clearly. There is a strong link between smoking and the worsening of macular degeneration.

Schedule Annual Comprehensive Eye Exams

Your eye health is a gift that is easy to take for granted. We rely on clear vision to do almost every task in our day. Annual eye exams are essential because good eyesight can improve the quality of day-to-day life.

At a comprehensive eye exam, your ophthalmologist will check for the following:

• Refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism
• Focusing problems like presbyopia (gradual loss of your eyes’ ability to focus on nearby objects)
• Eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Do You Need an Eye Doctor? We Can Help.

If it has been over a year since your last comprehensive eye exam, you should make an appointment for an eye exam with dilation. Many people assume they only need to see an eye doctor when they have vision problems, but issues can develop slowly and without notice. Eye diseases are not always symptomatic in the early stages, but an eye doctor can diagnose them sooner when they are easier to treat.

Make a new commitment to healthy vision and make eye appointments for your whole family. If you need a new ophthalmologist, we can help locate an eye doctor in your area. A healthy lifestyle and annual eye examinations will help you preserve your vision for years to come.

You use vision more than any of your senses, but how well are you caring for your eyes? Your movements, activities and interactions all rely on your ability to see clearly. Protecting your eyes helps lower the chances of vision loss, blindness and the development of eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease.

Schedule Annual Comprehensive Eye Exams

Lots of people assume they only need to go to the eye doctor if they have a vision problem. However, many eye conditions do not have symptoms in the early stages. Diseases like glaucoma can develop without notice but can cause permanent eye damage. Gradually, glaucoma reduces the visual field, but most people don’t notice the loss in peripheral vision.

Yearly comprehensive eye exams will allow your doctor to diagnose and treat eye conditions early to prevent vision loss. Diabetic eye disease is another common condition that can damage the blood vessels in the eyes. Detecting eye changes caused by diabetes at an early stage can significantly decrease the chances of blindness by 60 to 90 percent.

Protect Your Eyes from the Elements, Objects and Digital Devices

The eye is a small, delicate part of the body and can sustain injury quite easily. Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight can damage part of the retina called the macula, which is responsible for central vision. Wearing sunglasses that block 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays can help prevent macular damage.

Safety goggles can protect your eyes from foreign objects while gardening, woodworking or playing sports. Safety goggles are not expensive, and it is wise to buy several pairs and have them accessible in your garage, car and utility room.

Digital eye strain will not permanently affect your vision, but it can be irritating or painful. Staring at screens can reduce blink rate and cause dry eye. To address this issue, you can experiment with placing a sticky note on your monitor or scheduling a prompt on your mobile device to encourage frequent blinking.

Whenever you are using digital devices, it’s helpful to remember the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Commit to a Healthy Lifestyle

Exercise and nutrition are important for your overall wellness, but they’re also essential for optimum eye health. Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving.

According to the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should get 150 minutes of moderate-level exercise and two days of muscle strengthening activity each week. It’s all about getting up and moving. Adults who sit less and engage in exercise will enjoy health benefits (CDC).

Consuming foods abundant in vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids can decrease the likelihood of developing conditions such as cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and dry eye as you grow older.

Here are some examples of nutrient-rich foods in each category (AAO):

• Vitamin C — oranges, strawberries, grapefruit, tomatoes, kiwifruit, broccoli and red and green peppers
• Vitamin E — almonds, avocadoes, olive oil and sunflower seeds
• Zinc — legumes (beans and lentils), seafood, meat, eggs and dairy
• Lutein and zeaxanthin — broccoli; asparagus; leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach and Swiss chard; papaya; peaches; raspberries and mangos

Call an Ophthalmologist for an Appointment

Quality vision care isn’t time-consuming or expensive. A regular eye exam takes about an hour, but it provides a whole year of benefits. Your ophthalmologist will give you a visual acuity test, check for refractive errors and evaluate your prescription for glasses or contact lenses.

You will also receive a screening for eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. When detected at an early stage, eye disease is easier to treat and less costly.

Find an Ophthalmologist in Your Area

Have you recently moved or need a new eye doctor? We have eye care centers all over the country and can assist you in locating a doctor near your residence. With proper care, you can have clear vision for years to come.