Does smoking affect eye health?
Smoking is associated with an increased risk of cataract and of age-related macular degeneration, among other conditions, and it affects the circulation that the retina depends on.
- Subject
- Eye health
- Topic
- General health & the eye
- Kind of question
- Other questions
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Everyday eye health in General health & the eye . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Eye Health Information
Condition-by-condition eye health information from a US government research institute, written for patients rather than for clinicians.
Used for Plain-language explanations of eye conditions and their symptoms; Healthy vision and screening guidance.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- Blindness and vision impairment
The WHO overview of vision impairment, including the conditions that account for most avoidable sight loss worldwide.
Used for Framing uncorrected refractive error as a public health issue rather than a lifestyle one.
Link checked 23 September 2026