“We really try to stress the importance of not smoking given its
relationship to so many risks to overall eye health and vision,” noted OphthalmologistJoel Confino, M.D. of The Eye Care & Surgery Center in Westfield, Warren& Iselin, New Jersey. “Especially with younger patients, it is tough
for them to see the long term increased eye health risks of smoking.”
Avoiding smoking, or quitting, is
one of the best investments you can make in your long-term eye health. Smoking-even
in your teens or twenties when your senior years seem far away- increases your
future risks for cataract
and age-related
macular degeneration (AMD). And the more a person smokes, the higher the
risks. The good news is that after people quit smoking, their risks for these eye
diseases become almost as low as for people who never smoked.
Smoking also raises the risks for
cardiovascular diseases that indirectly influence your eyes’ health. And
tobacco smoke, including second-hand smoke, is an irritant that worsens dry eye,
a very uncomfortable eye condition that is most common in women after
menopause. Smoking increases the risk of serious vision loss in people with
other eye diseases. And when women smoke during pregnancy they are more likely
to give birth prematurely, putting their babies at higher risk for a
potentially blinding disease called retinopathy
of prematurity as well as other health problems.
If you or someone you
know want to quit smoking and would like help the American Cancer Society has a
resource at www.cancer.org. If you would like to learn
more about smoking and eye health problems please feel free to call The Eye
Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or
facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter and schedule an appointment.
The Eye
Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified NJ
Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye
surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative
staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, surgery for cataracts, intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction
such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of
cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of
diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration
(AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and
cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin
rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses,
eyewear and optical services.
With
locations in Westfield and Warren and Iselin, The Eye Care & Surgery Center
is a leading NJ eye care practice serving the central and northern New Jersey
including Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Sayreville, Milltown, North
Brunswick, Kendall Park, Somerset, Dunellen, Bridgewater, Manville, Bound
Brook, Raritan, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Metuchen, Avenel, Carteret,
Piscataway, Middlesex, Somerville, South Plainfield, North Plainfield, Roselle
Park, Garwood, Clark, Kenilworth, Cranford, Gillette, Berkeley Heights,
Stirling, Scotch Plains, Summit, Chatham, Watchung, Pluckemin, Rahway,
Plainfield, Mountainside, Springfield, New Providence, Basking Ridge,
Bedminster, Bernardsville, Millington, Union, Elizabeth, Linden, Jersey City,
Irvington, Orange, West Orange, Livingston, Short Hills, Florham Park, Madison,
Bloomfield, Montclair, Clifton, Garfield, Wayne, Parsippany, Troy Hills and
Paramus, New Jersey.
