Within the eye, highly metabolic retinal tissue requires large amounts of oxygen to function normally. Deprive the retina of this requirement and damage will occur. Patients with severe COPD are more susceptible to sight threatening retinal problems. Moreover, if a patient with emphysema also has diabetes, the visual prognosis frequently is poor. Recent studies have shown that smokers with macular degeneration have a greatly increased risk of retinal swelling and hemorrhages, which frequently result in significant, irreversible damage.
Macular degeneration is already the leading cause of blindness in individuals over age sixty five.
Although laser treatment can reduce the progression of the retinal damage, many patients will end up legally blind. I have many patients who want to stop smoking but find it very difficult. I have others who have no desire to stop. It is their decision. They should realize that upon quitting, it takes almost fifteen years before the risk of smoking related problems is reduced to the level of a non-smoker.