Chemicals in cigarette harmful to vision

Cairo – September 19 (SEE): Exposure to a chemical in tobacco smoke could make it more difficult for people to see in low-contrast conditions, such as low light, fog or glare, a new study suggests.

According to Reuters, researchers found that higher levels of cadmium in the blood were associated with diminished contrast sensitivity.

In the report published in JAMA Ophthalmology, lead author Adam Paulson of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, School of Medicine said “This particular aspect of vision is really important because it affects your ability to see the end of a curb or put a key into a lock in low light.”

“It’s something that at this point in time there’s no way to correct, unlike visual acuity, which you can easily correct with glasses or contact lenses.”

Smoking can raise cadmium levels, as can consumption of leafy green vegetables and shellfish, Paulson said. It may be possible to eat greens and avoid cadmium if you can find produce that has not been treated with pesticides, he added.

According to the new study, Dr. Mandeep S. Singh of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Medicine said that certain trace chemicals that people are exposed to in small amounts could be harming their eyes in subtle, incremental ways over time. he noted especially to 'cadmium', which is present at relatively high levels in cigarette smoke. Cadmium is a neurotoxin, and it could be damaging the nerve cells of the vision system, Singh said.