Do You Smoke Pot And Cigarettes? You Are Setting Yourself Up For Cataracts

Cataracts are a milky film that forms over the lens of the eye and which requires permanent replacement surgery to fix. There are many problems that contribute to the development of this disease, including smoking both marijuana and cigarettes. If you have these two habits, you need to quit as soon as possible to prevent cataract development.

Marijuana May Cause Vision Problems

While it is true that marijuana has many health benefits when smoked or eaten, it is also fair to say that it has some problems. For example, several studies have found that smoking marijuana causes vision delay problems that could lead to impaired vision. In a severe enough situation, this could likely lead to the development of more severe problems, like cataracts.

More problematically, a large number of marijuana smokers also enjoy smoking cigarettes or other types of tobacco. This co-occurring smoking addiction is a major problem for your eyes and could lead to the development of cataracts and other types of vision issues.

Cigarette Smoking Definitely Contributes To Cataracts

While studies on marijuana smoke and cataracts have yet to be undertaken, the connection between cigarette smoke is obvious. There are plenty of studies that showcase the ways that cigarette smoke can cause cataracts. This issue develops because smoking causes a constriction in the veins of your eyes and can even aggravate your eye lens.

When this happens, cataracts are likely to start growing. And if simply smoking cigarettes causes this problem, it is fair to say that smoking marijuana alongside it is probably contributing to it. Thankfully, it is possible to address this situation in a way that helps you to quit smoking and which manages the development of cataracts in a healthy way.

Avoiding This Problem

If you are worried that a co-occurring addiction of marijuana and nicotine could lead to the development of cataracts, there are a few steps that you can take. First of all, if marijuana is legal in your state for medical purposes, talk to your doctor about getting edibles. These offer the health benefits of marijuana without affecting your vision.

You should then turn to smoking cessation aides to give up cigarettes. This might be the toughest part of the process because nicotine is truly physically addicting while marijuana is not. However, it can be done if you're willing to stick with the process and give up smoking for good. Try to find a "quitting buddy" who will help you stay smoke free.

If you quit but are still worried you've damaged your eyes, you should reach out to a professional optometrist today. These doctors can assess the injury you've done to your vision and assess whether or not you need treatment to prevent or manage cataract growth.


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