Smoking is a Real Problem

Smoking always seems to get a bad rap for causing numerous medical problems, and probably for good reason. Smoking has been linked to atherosclerosis and heart disease, two conditions that can directly impact your overall health not to mention your overall ocular health. Most people don’t realize that your eyes require more blood than your heart to survive, and are directly impacted by heart disease.

Smoking has been shown to increase one's risk of developing glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), and cataracts. In fact, studies show that individuals who smoke are five times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), which is the leading cause of vision loss amongst North Americans.

Studies by the Canadian government show that approximately 15-22% of Canadians age 15 and older smoke on a regular basis. A small non-scientific analysis of our clinic revealed that about 32% of our patients were regular smokers.  This means that our patient base is nearly two times more likely to develop severe eye disease like macular degeneration.

We firmly urge all of our patients to look closely at their lifestyle choices and re-evaluate the long-term consequences. If you’ve determined that it is now time to quit, please talk to your family physician about ways to help kick the habit.

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Kingsway Mall | Edmonton | Alberta