Tobacco in cigarettes, cigars and pipes can cause lung disease, heart disease, cancer and many other serious health problems.<\/p>\n
But did you know that smoking can damage your eyes?;<\/p>\n
Then Dr. Stratos Gozzarides, an ophthalmologist surgeon, explains how some eye diseases are aggravated by smoking:<\/p>\n
Dry eye<\/strong><\/p>\n We suffer from dry eyes when our eyes do not produce enough tears or do not have the right quality of tears. Smoking makes our eyes drier, which makes certain symptoms such as foreign body sensation, burning sensation and redness more severe.<\/p>\n Waterfall<\/strong><\/p>\n If you smoke, you run the risk of accelerating the onset of cataracts. A cataract is the clouding of the natural lens of our eye (crystalline). It causes blurred vision and makes colours look dull, faded or yellowish. Cataracts are removed by surgery.<\/p>\n Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)<\/strong><\/p>\n This disease occurs when a part of the retina called the macula is damaged due to \u00abnormal\u00bb aging of the body. Central vision is lost and we cannot see details. Peripheral vision, however, remains normal.<\/p>\n Sometimes an injection of drugs (AntiVEGF) or surgery can help some patients with age-related macular degeneration from getting worse. Studies have shown, and continue to show, that smokers and ex-smokers are more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration than those who have never smoked.<\/p>\n Diabetic retinopathy<\/strong><\/p>\n Smokers who have diabetes are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the blood vessels in the eye are damaged. It causes blurred or distorted vision and possibly blindness. Treatment involves medication by injecting a drug into the eye (AntiVEGF) or surgery.<\/p>\n Problems in the optic nerve<\/strong><\/p>\n Smokers are at risk of developing problems with their optic nerves. The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain. Optic nerve damage can lead to blindness.Smoking can increase the chances of someone developing glaucoma, a disease that directly affects the optic nerve.<\/p>\n Uveitis<\/strong><\/p>\n The uvea is the middle of the three layers that make up the eye. Smoking can lead to a disease that affects this tunic called uveitis. Uveitis is caused when this layer becomes inflamed (becomes red and swollen). This disease causes red eyes, pain and reduced vision.<\/p>\n Graves' disease<\/strong><\/p>\n This is a thyroid disease. One of the symptoms of Graves' disease is bulging eyes, called exophthalmos. Smokers suffering from the disease are at risk of aggravating their already aggravated eye condition. They can also lose their vision.<\/p>\n Pregnant? Smoking can damage your baby's eyes.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you smoke during pregnancy, your baby is 5 times more likely to get bacterial meningitis as a child. This happens when the tissues around the brain become swollen. Meningitis can cause an infection in the eyes and other vision problems.<\/p>\n Smoking during pregnancy also increases the risk of your baby being born prematurely. The premature birth of your baby can lead to a serious eye condition called \"retinopathy of prematurity\" (ROP). The baby may experience permanent vision loss or blindness.<\/p>\n The American Cancer Society has resources to help people who want to quit smoking.<\/p>\n Avoiding smoking, passive smoking or if you are a smoker, quitting, is definitely the most important thing you can do for your long-term eye health.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u039f \u03ba\u03b1\u03c0\u03bd\u03cc\u03c2 \u03c3\u03b5 \u03c4\u03c3\u03b9\u03b3\u03ac\u03c1\u03b1, \u03c0\u03bf\u03cd\u03c1\u03b1 \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c0\u03af\u03c0\u03b5\u03c2, \u03bc\u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03b5\u03af \u03bd\u03b1 \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ad\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9 \u03c0\u03bd\u03b5\u03c5\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03b9\u03ba\u03ae \u03bd\u03cc\u03c3\u03bf, \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03b4\u03b9\u03b1\u03ba\u03ad\u03c2 \u03c0\u03b1\u03b8\u03ae\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2, \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03ba\u03af\u03bd\u03bf \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u03ac \u03ac\u03bb\u03bb\u03b1 \u03c3\u03bf\u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u03ac \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03b2\u03bb\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03c5\u03b3\u03b5\u03af\u03b1\u03c2. \u039e\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1\u03c4\u03b5 \u03cc\u03bc\u03c9\u03c2 \u03cc\u03c4\u03b9 \u03c4\u03bf \u03ba\u03ac\u03c0\u03bd\u03b9\u03c3\u03bc\u03b1 \u03bc\u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03b5\u03af \u03bd\u03b1 \u03b2\u03bb\u03ac\u03c8\u03b5\u03b9 \u03c4\u03b1 \u03bc\u03ac\u03c4\u03b9\u03b1 \u03c3\u03b1\u03c2; \u03a3\u03c4\u03b7 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ad\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1 \u03bf \u0394\u03c1. \u03a3\u03c4\u03c1\u03ac\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2 \u0393\u03ba\u03bf\u03c4\u03b6\u03b1\u03c1\u03af\u03b4\u03b7\u03c2, \u03c7\u03b5\u03b9\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5\u03c1\u03b3\u03cc\u03c2 \u03bf\u03c6\u03b8\u03b1\u03bb\u03bc\u03af\u03b1\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2, \u03b5\u03be\u03b7\u03b3\u03b5\u03af \u03c0\u03c9\u03c2 \u03ba\u03ac\u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u03b5\u03c2 \u03bf\u03c6\u03b8\u03b1\u03bb\u03bc\u03b9\u03ba\u03ad\u03c2 \u03c0\u03b1\u03b8\u03ae\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b5\u03c0\u03b9\u03b4\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd\u03ce\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u03bb\u03cc\u03b3\u03c9 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c0\u03bd\u03af\u03c3\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2: \u039e\u03b7\u03c1\u03bf\u03c6\u03b8\u03b1\u03bb\u03bc\u03af\u03b1 \u03a0\u03ac\u03c3\u03c7\u03bf\u03c5\u03bc\u03b5 \u03b1\u03c0\u03cc \u03be\u03b7\u03c1\u03bf\u03c6\u03b8\u03b1\u03bb\u03bc\u03af\u03b1, \u03cc\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd \u03c4\u03b1 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":216,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-5"],"yoast_head":"