3.10 Eye diseases

Show / hide chapter menu

3.0 Background

3.1 Tobacco—a leading preventable cause of death and disease

3.2 Cardiovascular diseases

3.3 Lung cancer

3.4 Respiratory diseases

3.5 Other cancers caused by or associated with smoking

3.6 Reproductive health and smoking

3.7 Pregnancy and smoking

3.8 Infant health and smoking

3.9 Increased susceptibility to infection in smokers

3.10 Eye diseases

3.11 Dental diseases

3.12 Gastrointestinal diseases

3.13 Bone density and risk of fractures

3.14 Effects of smoking on the skin

3.15 Smoking and complications in medical treatment

3.16 Smoking and diabetes

3.17 Poorer levels of general health

3.18 Smoking, motor vehicle crashes and other injuries

3.19 Burns and fires caused by tobacco use

3.20 Tobacco poisoning

3.21 Health effects for younger smokers

3.22 Genetic influences on tobacco-caused disease

3.23 Smoking, dementia and cognitive decline

3.24 Lung disease, smoking and occupational exposures

3.25 Air pollution, cigarette smoking and ill health

3.26 Health effects of smoking brands that claim to deliver lower levels of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide

3.27 Health effects of smoking tobacco in other forms

3.28 Health 'benefits' of smoking?

3.29 Morbidity (ill health) attributable to tobacco-caused disease

3.30 Deaths attributable to tobacco by disease category

3.31 Morbidity and mortality due to tobacco-caused disease and socioeconomic disadvantage

3.32 Health effects of smoking other substances

3.33 Health effects of chewing tobacco, and of other smokeless tobacco products

3.34 Public perceptions of tobacco as a drug, and knowledge and beliefs about the health consequences of smoking

3.35 Health benefits of cessation

3.36 The global tobacco pandemic

Acknowledgments

References

3.10.1 Cataract

Cataract is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in Australia.28 The ocular lens, which focuses light on to the retina, is normally a transparent organ. With age it has a tendency to develop opaque areas, and when the opacity begins to impair vision, it is called a cataract. There are three main types of cataract, known as nuclear, cortical and posterior subcapsular lens opacity, each with its own distinct risk factors.5 Smoking is a cause of nuclear cataract, which occurs in the centre of the lens. Although the exact mechanism for causation is not known, many trace metals and other chemicals in cigarette smoke are capable of damaging lens proteins. Quitting smoking may reduce the risk of developing nuclear opacity.5

Smoking may also be associated with an increased risk for developing posterior subcapsular opacity (a cataract situated under the external membrane, usually behind the lens) but more research is required.5

3.10.2 Age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is also a major cause of vision impairment and blindness in Australia.28 The macula is the central area of the retina, and is responsible for high-resolution vision. Studies are increasingly identifying smoking as a major risk factor for developing AMD.64, 65

3.10.3 Graves' ophthalmopathy

Graves' ophthalmopathy is a complication of Graves' disease, a fairly rare thyroid disease. The eye complications include protrusion of the eyeballs, double vision, inflammation of eye tissue and damage to the optic nerve. A number of studies have observed an increased risk among smokers for developing the ocular complications of Graves' disease. At this stage the evidence is not conclusive, and further research is required.5