Smokers Twice As Likely To Go Blind

[Sequoia]

PEOPLE who smoke are twice as likely to go blind as those who don't, a report warned yesterday.

Experts believe around 54,000 smokers have developed a condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as a result of their habit.

This is the leading cause of blindness in the UK, with around 500,000 sufferers.

The AMD Alliance UK said yesterday the link between smoking and blindness was as strong as that between cigarettes and lung cancer.

Yet only a tiny number of the UK's 13 million smokers are aware of the risk.

A survey of 1,000 people found that only seven per cent knew that AMD affected the eyes.

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http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15938982%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=smokers%2dtwice%2das%2dlikely%2dto%2dgo%2dblind-name_page.html

[stopbush]

1. Hmmm? Do they masturbate twice as much or what?

[evlbstrd]

2. I know I do.

*squinting to read blurry text while typing with left hand*

[enlightenment]

3. Don't know about THAT (grin), but

both of my parents have AMD -- my father, who smoked a pipe until about 10 years ago, developed the dry form (slower progression, but no treatment available) 2 years ago. He's 83.
My mother, who stopped smoking 25 years ago, developed the wet form (much faster, but some treatments available) 18 months ago. She's 84, and at this point, mostly blind.
It's not one of the finer points of aging, that's for damn sure.

[Ladyhawk]

10. Damn you for beating me to the punch. :D n/t

[fishnfla]

4. I call bullcrap

not a smoker nor a proponent. Macular degeneration is a disease that has many contributing factors, genetic, nutritional, etc. Smoking has beem shown to be one of many contibuting factors

But its called "age-related" for a reason. Its an aging process mostly.

Maybe if smokers lived longer they would get it

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. You can eat it

Lung cancer is also age-related. More old people get it than young people. With your logic, perhaps you are experiencing early onset of age-related degenerative brain diseases. You can eat your bullcrap.

[CountAllVotes]

5. It is true

and it is also genetic. They recently have found the gene for macular degeneration.

My sister-in-law is in her mid-70s and she is blind and she is a heavy smoker. I am not sure what form of AMD it is but I suspect it is the wet form.

My spouse has developed it recently, the wet form. Surgery was not at all helpful. He used to smoke a lot but quit 25 years before it hit him very suddenly.

This is really nothing new and they tell you in the scientific literature that smoking does contribute to macular degeneration.

:kick:

[enlightenment]

6. Is your husband a candidate

for the visadyne or macugen treatments? My mother has had 3 visadyne treatments, with some limited success -- but we've heard that the macugen treatment is showing great potential (supposed to be on the market this year).
If you haven't already, you might want to ask your doctor about them.

I agree about the genetic part -- and with two parents and already poor vision, I'm just about ready to learn braille now, just to be on the safe side.
The absolute hardest part for my mom is not being able to read.
Best of luck to you and your husband.

[CountAllVotes]

7. hey thanks for the info.

I'll PM you. :D

:kick:

[the_spectator]

9. Isn't that nice for you!

On the other hand, when we smokers go blind, at least we won't be able to see non-smokers make those "ew gross" faces when they just WALK past a smoker - smoking outside! Maybe you all need to remember to add some sound effects when you make that face? Just in case we're already blind? Wouldn't want anyone to miss that disdain, would you?

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Remember, your smoke still smells bad

even outside. It's the same reaction to a bad fart. You just have to hold your breath for a second or two, or breath through your mouth so the smell isn't so noticable. Sound effects wouldn't help, but screwing up your face when you smell something bad is a natural reaction.