Arshad Shaikh, Pervaiz Alam, S M Sami.
Tobacco-Related Eye Diseases.
Pak J Ophthalmol Jan ;15(3):113-6.

A study on 591 patients in the O.P.D. of the Eye Unit of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi, was carried out. 262(44%) were males, of which 53 (20.2%) were using tobacco in different forms. 329(56%) were females of which 39(11.8%) were tobacco users. The common eye problems in the 53 males using tobacco were cataract (43.3%), glaucoma (16.9%) and ocular Irritation (26.4%). The common eye problems in the 39 females using tobacco were cataract (64.1%), glaucoma (20.5%) and aphakia or psuedophakia (30.7%) in one or both eyes. The ages ranged from 18 to 90 years. Majority of the patients were using tobacco for more than 20 years. Cigarette, followed by `paan° (beetle leaf) were the main forms of use of tobacco in males, while in females `paan°, followed by `gutka` (beetle nut) were the main forms. The study showed that the use of tobacco in any form in low doses over long periods or in high doses for even a short time led to eye problems. The other less common eye problems were ischemic optic neuropathy, headache, microbial keratitis and tobacco amblyopia.

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