Young people who have developed the habit of smoking traditional cigarettes and vaping are more likely to have eye problems.
- Young people who smoke e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes have a higher risk than others of developing eye problems.
- These conditions may include eye pain, burning, itching, redness, dryness, glare, blurred vision, and headache.
- Adolescents who only smoke cigarettes also have an increased risk of eye problems. In contrast, no correlation was found among people who only vaped.
Electronic and traditional cigarettes don’t just affect men’s fertility, they also impact young people’s eyes, according to a new university study McGill.
Mix tobacco and vaping increase risks to the eyes
To assess the impact of tobacco and vaping on the eye health of young people, researchers from the university McGill brought together 4,351 Americans aged 13 to 24. Participants were categorized based on their use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or both. Their vision was assessed as well as the frequency and severity of eye symptoms such as discomfort, pain, burning, itching, redness, dry eye, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, fatigue and headaches.
50.2% of the volunteers questioned vaped. Of these, 55.9% admitted to also smoking cigarettes.
Analysis of the results showed that symptoms were significantly more severe in young people who used both products compared to those who used only one. In addition, the disorders were particularly frequent and serious among those who had smoked and vaped in the previous 7 days.
The team issued the hypothesis that the observed increase in risks is linked to oxidative stress, which may be involved in the constriction of blood vessels in the eye.
Vapers are more concerned about their health ocular
If the “double users” have the highest risks of poor eye health, but traditional smokers are not spared. They also have eye problems. But, they were not as severe or frequent as e-cigarette and traditional cigarette users.
On the other hand, scientists have not identified a direct link between the use of e-cigarettes alone and eye problems. However, it was the latter who were most concerned about their eye health.
In their study published in JAMA Ophthalmology August 31, 2023researchers highlighted the importance of raising awareness among young people about the risks associated with smoking and vaping for their eye health. They write in their article: “These findings provide additional reasons to screen, counsel and treat all tobacco users to prevent and reduce ocular symptoms. We recommend that healthcare professionals ask all patients about the use of nicotine products and advise and treat those who use these products to help prevent and reduce eye problems.”
