Cigarettes Can Cause Cataracts

Lighting up a cigarette may make it more difficult to see in the long term, according to a vision specialist quoted on Contact Lens Safety News.

The article said vision specialist Darla Carter noted people who smoke increase the chance of developing conditions such as cataracts of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). She said smoking increases the risk of cataract formation, and said people who smoke have two times the risk of developing AMD than abstainers. 

The article noted macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world, so cutting smoking could be necessary to long-term eye health.