Gateshead Council warns smokers of eyesight damage
Smokers in Gateshead are being made aware of the potential risk to their eyesight, through a new Gateshead Council campaign supported by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB).
For years, cigarette packets have carried health warnings linking cigarettes to heart disease, cancer and harm to unborn babies. Now, local eye specialists are also raising awareness of the impacts of smoking on sight loss.
The most common form of sight loss caused by smoking is age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – one of the UK’s leading causes of sight loss. The link between smoking and AMD is reportedly as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer. Some areas of the North East show some of the highest rates in the country of sight loss due to age-related macular degeneration.
Sarah Townsend, North East representative for the College of Optometrists and optometrist at Summers Opticians in Low Fell, is supporting the campaign locally. She said, “There are many thousands of smokers who have no idea that smoking can severely destroy your vision. The chemicals affect blood vessels throughout the body, and one of the secondary effects is that they slowly damage the tissues of the eye. The result can mean that daily tasks such as driving, reading and recognising faces can be affected.”
Cabinet member for health at Gateshead Council, Councillor Mary Foy, said, “Local GP’s collect information about the smoking status of their patients. Provisional local data shows that 53.5% percent of Gateshead patients with long- term conditions, are smokers or ex smokers.
“Stopping smoking can significantly reduce disease, early death and sight loss. It is a priority for us to support quitters and raise awareness of the potential harms to help smokers make their own decisions about stopping and deter young people from starting.”
More than 1 in five Gateshead residents over 18 is a smoker and over 590 residents over 35 die from smoking related diseases every year.
Smoking also increases the risk of developing other eye problems such as cataracts – a major cause of sight loss in the UK, and can make diabetic related sight problems worse.
Helen May, Optometrist and Eye Health Advisor for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said: “Smoking is a clear risk factor, with smokers twice as likely to develop AMD than non-smokers. Studies show that stopping smoking can reduce your risk of developing AMD. We urge people to be aware of the early signs of wet AMD. Anyone who is experiencing changes to their vision such as straight lines appearing wavy or curved should visit their optometrist immediately.”
People in Gateshead can get help to stop smoking at local GP practices and pharmacies. Services offer a 12 week support programme, which can include evening and weekends, with access to nicotine replacement therapy at prescription prices. More than 2000 Gateshead residents accessed the service in the last year. In the run up to Stoptober, if you want to stop, contact your local pharmacy.
A person stopping smoking for 28 days is five times more likely to stay smokefree. Someone who stops and doesn’t smoke again, could gain an extra seven days of life, every 28 days, for the rest of their life. Stopping smoking saves the average smoker over £150 a month and almost £2,000 a year.
During October quitters can to take advantage of free support including a Stoptober support pack, a daily messaging service and Stoptober mobile app. To register all you have to do is click on smokefree.nhs.uk/Stoptober/