Submitted by administrator on
I was just reading an article on the 28 Stop Smoking Campaign as it is being advertised throughout the UK on mainstream TV channels.
The conditions most associated with smoking are heart diseases and cancers, but lets not forget the significant damage it can cause to your eyes, whether you are actively smoking or passively affected. The smoke from a cigarette is known as sidestream and mainstream smoke. The former resulting from the tip of a lit cigarette contributes around eighty per cent of smoke related air pollution and is 46 times more toxic than the latter type, Mainstream smoke, which is generated from the filter or inhaled / exhaled by the smoker.
Children at high risk from passive smoking can be affected by Strabismus ( or crossed eyes). Pre-Natally, a child that is subject to passive smoking is almost 7 times more likely to develop Strabismus.
They are also prone to allergic conjunctivitis as the risk of the smoke as as an allergen increases by a fifth in children who have exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
As an adult there is strong evidence that pipe smoking can increase your risk of developing cataract. Also Uveitis becomes a possible complication with exposure to tobacco smoke.Smoking is a clearly established risk for age related macular degeneration. A smoker is three times more likely to be at risk of developing the disease. The link between environmental smoke and AMD is less clear however and can often be difficult to research as the exact definition of what passive smoking is poses conflict.
Thyroid Eye Disease is another disease that smokers put themselves at risk of developing, and generally the reduction or complete elimination of environmental tobacco smoke is the only way to help prevent associated eye disease and disorders.
Good Luck to anybody taking part in the 28 Campaign, for many it will be an important ' First Step ' for all round better health.