Ocular conditions and dry eye due to traditional and new forms of smoking: A review

• Published in: Contact lens & anterior eye Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 277 - 284
• Main Authors: Makrynioti, Dimitra, Zagoriti, Zoi, Koutsojannis, Constantinos, Morgan, Philip B., Lagoumintzis, George
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2020
• Subjects: Conventional cigarettes; Dry eye disease; Electronic cigarettes; Nicotine uptake; Smoking; Vaping; Vaping; Conventional cigarettes; Dry eye disease; Electronic cigarettes; Nicotine uptake; Smoking
• ISSN: 1367-0484; 1476-5411
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clae.2020.02.009

•Smoking has been linked to several life-threatening systemic conditions in addition to a range of ocular pathologies.•In recent years, electronic cigarettes (EC) have emerged as alternative to smoking.•An investigation on the association of traditional and new forms of smoking with dry eye and four other ocular diseases.•Smoking and vaping appear as a risk factor for dry eye, cataract, AMD, glaucoma and Graves’ ophthalmopathy.•An evidence-based clear link in between cigarette smoking or EC vaping and ocular problems though is yet to be discovered. Addiction to cigarette smoking has high prevalence rates recorded worldwide. Smoking has been linked to several life-threatening systemic conditions such as cancer, heart attack and stroke, in addition to a range of ocular pathologies. In recent years, electronic cigarettes (EC) have emerged as alternatives to smoking. ECs are nicotine delivery devices which produce an aerosol by heating, rather than combusting, a liquid which contains nicotine, flavours and preservatives. This review focuses on the association of traditional and new forms of smoking with dry eye disease, contact lens wear and four other common ocular diseases: cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and Graves’ ophthalmopathy. It is concluded that smoking and vaping appear as a risk factor for the aforementioned ocular conditions. An evidence-based, clear link between cigarette smoking, or EC vaping and ocular problems is yet to be discovered.