Smoking

[Patjo]

I was just wondering how many of us on this forum are smokers. We all know it's bad for our eyesight and at least two of us have been diagnosed with lung cancer. I have been a smoker for fifty years and have tried to give it up many times unsuccessfully.It becomes part of who you are after all these years.If more than 25% of us smoke , it sort of confirms the theory that its bad for eyesight.

[2468G]

Hi Patjo.

I only smoked in my youth. Probably from the age of 16 to 19. Never heavily. Met my future hubby at the age of 19 who hated smoking so I stopped. I'm very glad I had a good motive to stop. I sympathise with your struggle to give up.

I guess the reality is that smoking is bad for every part of our bodies. The doctors seem to think there is a link between macular damage and smoking.

[Retired130]

I think a lot has to do with each individual's body makeup, DNA, genetic history, & daily living habits throughout life. For example, I recently read an article about a 100+ year old female in Europe that still smoked cigars & drank whiskey a few times a week & her eyesight was good & she was still mobile.

Both my wife & I started smoking cigarettes about age 14 & we are now 72 & 70 & only quit 4 years ago when my wife was found to have a retina tear. (We probably would be rich if we had invested the money instead of buying cigarettes). My eyesight is fine but my wife has WMD in one eye (getting Eylea shots) & DMD in the other. All Retina Specialists say smoking will definitely cause MD to get worse faster than in non-smokers.

As for proving that smoking "causes" MD, I do not know if any studies have been done on this, but you asking people on this site if they smoked and are still smoking is an interesting survey to pursue.

[alalex101]

Never smoked.

[Pumpkin71]

I stopped smoking 13 years ago, after learning of the increased risk for AMD. Unfortunately, stopping didn't prevent me from developing AMD. I smoked over a period of about 35 years.

[Bungobunty]

Hi i have wet Macular in my left eye , have never smoked or worked around smoke.