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Smoking and poor diet will still contribute to the deterioration of the eyes and it is important to look after them however good vision is.
A new survey by the charity Eyecare Trust has found that only 9.7 per cent of smokers in the UK are aware of the link between tobacco and blindness.
Smoking is a key factor in the development of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the developed world.
Iain Anderson from Eyecare Trust said: "There is growing evidence that lifestyle factors play a significant role in determining long-term health of our eyes.
"Making the right lifestyle choices from the start can help preserve your vision.
"However, it's never too late to make changes, as in some instances vision that is already in decline can be restored by following a health diet, taking regular exercise and generally cutting down on things that we know are bad for us."
Foods recommended for healthy eyes include leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, red peppers, aubergines and carrots.
Eating healthily in conjunction with wearing
ortho k contact lenses could help reduce dry eye problems.
Jennifer Golden from I-Go Lenses said: "Overnight lenses help dry eye because max oxygen can get to the eye during the day as there is no barrier created by a lens.
"At night 6x more oxygen can get to the eye compared to standard soft lenses as I-GO lenses are made from a very high oxygen permeable material.
By Oliver Edgar
