Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a serious issue for the senior citizen demographic just about anywhere on the planet, and Canada is no exception, the Welland Tribune reported earlier this month.
According to the article, the number of Canadians coming down with AMD continues to rise, and smoking will only make things worse. What’s more, various reports have indicated that the number of AMD cases will continue to climb as people live longer due to advancements in medicine.
According to the article, people who puff on cigarettes are more likely, to the tune of two or three times, to be diagnosed with AMD compared to people who refrain from smoking. The article added that smoking is believed to be the sole changeable risk factor known to lessen the advancement of AMD. This means that conquering nicotine addiction will boost the odds of avoiding AMD.
According to the article, people who use a pack of cigarettes daily are more likely than people who refrain from smoking to get cataracts, which like AMD is a primary cause of blindness. The article added that Canada tends to do a good job of treating conditions such as cataracts early. However, smokers would be able to avoid, or at least delay, things like cataracts and AMD if they were to give up the bad habit.
According to the article, some of the adverse impacts of lighting up, such as AMD, are irreversible, but smokers who stop lighting up can still do wonders for their health overall since they’ll be much better off and will be able breathe a whole lot better.
Previous reports have noted that people tend not to be as aware of how smoking damages eye health. While most people know that smoking is bad for their lungs and can lead to cancers and respiratory ailments, many haven’t made the connection between smoking and eye wellness. Various reports have noted that governments and other organizations need to do more to alert people about the dangers of lighting up — so that smokers can see things in a whole new light and give up cigarettes.
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Reference: http://www.wellandtribune.ca/2012/06/07/tobaccos-links-to-poor-eyesight
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