Vaping, like smoking, may harm your eyes
In 2019, a nationwide outbreak of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) drew urgent attention to the health risks of vaping. By February 2020, the CDC had reported 2,807 hospitalized cases and 68 deaths across all 50 states. The outbreak was primarily linked to vitamin E acetate, an additive found in THC-containing vaping products. While EVALI cases have declined sharply since then, the episode underscored the potential for serious lung and eye-related complications associated with vaping.
Now eye care professionals are sounding the alarm: Vaping may damage your vision.
What is vaping?
Vaping involves inhaling the aerosol, or vapor, from e-cigarettes as well as vape pens and similar devices.
Vaping liquid contains nicotine, flavoring and other chemicals, but not tobacco. Some users also vape synthetic drugs or THC, the high-inducing ingredient in marijuana.
How vaping may affect your vision
A small-scale study suggests vaping is not kind to our eyes.
In the study, researchers found moderate to severe cases of dry eye and lower-quality tear film among 21 vapers compared with 21 healthy non-vapers.
The researchers recommended additional studies “to gain a deeper understanding” of the relationship between e-cigarettes and eye health.
A previous study noted that some flavor additives in e-cigarettes contained chemicals that could produce oxidative stress (a key factor in the development of chronic diseases) and inflammation.
Both oxidative stress and inflammation could harm the eyes.
Worth noting: A study commentary published in 2018 maintains that this study overestimated the health concerns associated with e-cigarette flavorings.
Vaping, smoking and vision
It is believed the vapor from e-cigarettes is just as dangerous to your eyes as the smoke from regular cigarettes.
Why? The substances inhaled are toxins that have systemic effects.
Research shows cigarette smoking heightens the risk of several eye conditions: age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and dry eye syndrome. At this point, it’s unclear whether those same risks are connected to vaping.
The eye health risks tied to vaping stem from the chemicals that are emitted, including formaldehyde, nicotine and diacetyl (which is found in some e-cigarette flavoring).
Because some of these chemicals are also found in cigarettes, they could cause the same types of vision problems as cigarette smoking.
In fact, the overall risk of vision loss might be up to four times greater for vapers than non-vapers, based on the American Optometric Association’s declaration that cigarette smokers face much greater odds of developing macular degeneration — a sight-threatening disease — than nonsmokers.
It is recommended that people avoid vaping to safeguard their vision and their overall health.
SEE RELATED: How Smoking Harms Your Eyes
CDC advises against vaping and e-cigarettes
Until all the health effects of vaping are fully explored, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises against using e-cigarettes and other vaping devices.
Eye doctors nationwide are reinforcing the health dangers posed by smoking by directing patients to quit-smoking resources.
The primary agent in traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes is nicotine, a highly addictive substance, regardless of the delivery vessel. Vaping exposes the user to many toxic chemicals. The negative effects of these chemicals on systemic and visual health is not yet fully understood.
