EFN

As if the rising cost of cigarettes was not enough to make a smoker want to quit. Now studies are showing that quitting smoking can help save vision. The University of California at Los Angeles has conducted studies that are showing that even older smokers help save their vision by quitting smoking. Once a smoker is over 80 their chances of developing age-related macular degeneration which is the leading cause of blindness increases dramatically.

This age-related macular degeneration will cause damage to the center of the retina which will eventually lead to darkness or blurred vision. These studies show smokers, particularly women have up to 11 percent higher age-related macular degeneration than non-smokers who are the same age. Once the smokers turn 80 they have 5 times a greater chance of getting age-related macular degeneration than non-smokers!

Eye doctors are using these findings to encourage their patients to kick the habit once and for all. One common problem is many older smokers do not see the point in quitting but ophthalmologists are using these studies as a way to encourage their older patients to see that it is never too late to quit and it can only improve their overall health by doing so.