Vision & Cigarettes

Smoking can cause serious health problems, including lung disease, heart disease, and cancer. But, did you know that smoking can also be very harmful to your eye health?

If you smoke, you can develop severe eye conditions that can cause vision loss and, in some cases, blindness. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, smoking can increase your risk of:

 

Symptoms of Smoking-Related Eye Diseases

When is the last time you had your vision checked? If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should call your optometrist right away:

  • Blurred vision or a blurry spot in central vision
  • The constant need for additional light to read or do everyday tasks
  • Straight lines that look wavy (i.e., reading a book or newspaper)
  • Trouble recognizing faces or shapes

Some of the most common smoking-related eye diseases do not show any early signs or symptoms, so what do you need to do? You may think your eyes are in great shape, but a comprehensive eye exam may tell you otherwise. At Vision Associates, we recommend having a comprehensive eye exam once a year to ensure your eyes are working correctly and seeing clearly.

 

FDA & Smoking

What is the FDA doing to help consumers become more aware of the eye health risks with smoking? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently proposed new warning labels for cigarettes and cigarette advertising. From the realistic images to the descriptive text, the new labels provide consumers a clear understanding of the harmful effects associated with smoking.

The proposed rule would implement a provision of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act). This would require the FDA to issue regulations requiring color graphics depicting the negative health consequences of smoking to accompany new textual warning statements. The FDA is open for public comments through Oct. 15 and is looking for feedback on the warning label content. This proposed role would require all cigarette packages and advertisements in the United States to include a new warning label.

To learn more about the FDA proposed cigarette labels, please visit: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/proposed-cigarette-labels-feature-eye-conditions.

 

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