Smoking is a nasty habit that can affect your health and will harm almost every organ in your body. It’s common knowledge that smoking can cause heart disease, cancer, strokes and high blood pressure, but most people are unaware that smoking can also increase the risk of eye damage and diseases. Smoking can damage your eyes and can ruin your contact lenses, and the following guide will explain how:
Smoking Causes Dry Eyes
In order for your eyes to remain healthy, they must constantly have a layer of oily liquid, but smoking will cause the glands in your eyes to produce less moisture, and you will have dry eyes as a result. Those who smoke are twice as likely to experience dry eyes, and this is especially true for those who wear contact lenses.
Smoking Can Cause Cataracts
There are all kinds of nasty chemicals in cigarettes, and in addition to tar and nicotine, cigarettes also contain lead and arsenic. When cigarette smoke hits your eyes, the blood vessels can constrict, and this will limit oxygen transmission that your eyes need, and the cells in your eyes will become damaged as a result. This type of damage can cause cataracts, which is a very common cause of vision loss. It is a leading cause of blindness, so it’s a serious problem, and smoking doubles your risk of developing this condition, and this is true regardless of whether you wear contacts or not.
Smoking Will Cause Contacts To Become Uncomfortable
When you have smoke in your eyes, they cannot remain adequately moisturized, and this will cause your contacts to become dry and uncomfortable. Your contacts will also be contaminated by the chemicals in cigarette smoke, and your natural tears will not be enough to wash away the irritants in the smoke. Additionally, there is always the risk of contaminating your contact lenses with the deposits on your fingers and what can start off as an unpleasant burning sensation can quickly turn into a corneal ulcer, which is a serious condition. Quitting smoking is the best solution, but that is often easier said than done, so you must practice good hygiene, as this will help minimize the chances of lens contamination.
Smoking With Contacts Will Lead To Red Eyes That Are Scratchy
Smoking is very harmful to the eyes, and the risks are even higher if you wear contact lenses. When you smoke, your natural tears can no longer keep up with the smoke and contacts covering your eye, so your eyes may become red and scratchy. Your eyes will also feel very dry, and unless this problem is addressed, you can experience permanent vision loss.
If you’re concerned about the health of your eyes, Orangeville Optometric Centre can help. Whether you need contact lenses, an eye test, eyeglass frames, laser eye surgery or an eye exam, we can help, and our optometrists will look after all of your eye care needs. If you are in Orangeville, contact us today!
