Drinking alcohol might affect your eyesight, among other things. Knowing the symptoms of the eyes can be beneficial for those with alcohol use disorders to determine the consequences of binge drinking. This comprehensive guide will review the signs, how drinking impairs vision like, bloodshot eyes, red eyes, puffy eyes, swollen eyelids, glassy eyes, yellow eyes, jaundice, droopy eyelids, ptosis and the symptoms to look out for.
What Are Alcoholic Eyes?
The term “alcoholic eyes” indicates a distinctive look of the eyes that frequently comes on by long-term alcohol consumption. More than just a colloquialism, it refers to a constellation of ocular signs. These are not only visual alterations; they may also be a sign of more severe health problems associated with drinking, often related to the liver, nutritional status, and the central nervous system. Knowing what signs of eyes appear like might provide crucial information about a person’s drinking patterns and general health.
What Factor Play Role In Eye Toxification?
An excess of alcohol can lead to intoxication. the amount of alcohol required to develop intoxication might differ significantly from person to person depending on factors that influence alcohol metabolism and its physiological impact:
- Person body size
- Alcohol type
- Dehydration level
- lethargy
- Carbonated beverage intake
- Gender
- Number of meals they consume
- Medication or other drugs
- Mood swings
- Tolerance level
Direct Symptoms:
The following table outlines both the acute, short-term symptoms often seen during or after binge drinking and the chronic, long-term conditions that may develop from sustained alcohol abuse.
| Short Term | Long Term |
|---|---|
| Redness and bloodshot eyes (due to vasodilation) | Persistent redness and puffiness |
| Blurred or double vision (diplopia) due to impaired coordination of eye muscles | Yellowing of the sclera (jaundice), indicating severe liver damage |
| Eye twitching (myokymia) | Droopy eyelids (ptosis) becoming chronic |
| Increased light sensitivity (photophobia) | Decreased vision or permanent vision loss |
| Slowed pupil reaction to light | Impaired color visiImpaired color vision and decreased contrast sensitivity |
| Involuntary eye movement (nystagmus) | Involuntary eye movement (nystagmus) as a sign of neurological impact |
| Puffiness and swelling (fluid retention and inflammation) | Development of cataracts and accelerated age-related macular degeneration (AMD) |
How Does Alcohol Affect a Person’s Vision?
Drinking alcohol affects vision in several ways, like blurred vision, double vision, diplopia, impaired vision, vision loss, difficulty focusing, poor night vision, decreased visual acuity, light sensitivity, photophobia changing the way the eyes look and operate. The following are some of the physiological mechanisms behind the effects of heavy drinking on the eyes, including long-term symptoms. Excessive drinking could trigger:
- Dehydration: A state where the body lacks sufficient water to perform its normal functions, which directly contributes to the dry, irritated, and glassy appearance of the eyes.
- Vasodilation: The widening of blood vessels, which increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure, causing the prominent redness in the sclera (the white of the eye).
- Nerve damage: Injury to the nerves, which can disrupt signals to and from the brain, causing pain, numbness, or weakness and manifesting as muscle control issues like ptosis or nystagmus.
- Optic nerve damage: Deterioration of the nerve that connects the eye to the brain, often leading to vision loss. This is a primary pathway to progressive and irreversible blindness.
- Nutritional deficiency: The lack of essential nutrients in the body, which can lead to a variety of health problems, critically impacting eye health.
- Thiamine deficiency: A lack of vitamin B1, which is critical for nerve function and energy metabolism. This is a direct cause of alcohol-related optic neuropathy.
- Liver damage: Injury to the liver that impairs its ability to filter toxins and perform other vital functions.
- Cirrhosis: Advanced, irreversible scarring of the liver tissue, severely hindering its function and leading to a systemic buildup of toxins like bilirubin, which causes jaundice.
- Inflammation: The body’s natural immune response to injury or infection, causing swelling, redness, and pain, which contributes to puffiness and discomfort.
- Toxicity: The quality of being poisonous or harmful to the body. Alcohol and its byproducts are directly toxic to nerve tissues, including the delicate structures of the eye.
Alcohol-Related Eye Diseases & Conditions
Cataracts: A condition where the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy, causing blurry or dim vision. Chronic alcohol use is a known risk factor that can accelerate their formation.
Macular degeneration: A disease that damages the central part of the retina (the macula), leading to the loss of central vision. Heavy alcohol consumption may increase the risk of developing AMD.
Glaucoma: An eye disease that damages the optic nerve, often due to high pressure inside the eye, resulting in gradual peripheral vision loss. Binge drinking can temporarily increase this intraocular pressure.
Optic neuropathy: Damage to the optic nerve from any cause, which disrupts the transmission of visual information from the eye to the brain.
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: A neurological disorder caused by severe thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, leading to confusion, vision changes (like nystagmus and ophthalmoplegia), and memory problems.
Alcoholic amblyopia: Gradual vision loss due to the toxic effects of excessive alcohol consumption, often combined with poor nutrition, affecting the optic nerve.
Does Drinking Cause Bloodshot Eyes?
Yes, bloodshot eyes can result from alcohol use. Alcohol dehydrates the body, which makes the inflamed blood vessels in the eyes more noticeable. Although this impact is generally transient, consuming too much alcohol might make it worse. While temporary, chronic heavy drinking can lead to a persistently red appearance as these blood vessels lose their elasticity.
Drinking in moderation is defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) as having no more than two drinks for men and one drink for women each day.
How To Prevent Getting Alcoholic Eyes
Prevention is intrinsically linked to addressing the root cause: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). You may be suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and would like to prevent these vision issues. If so, you should get advice from professionals. An effective alcohol addiction treatment program can provide you with the encouragement and guidance you need to conquer your AUD.
The following elements will be part of the program:
Assessment
You will meet with the medical staff before beginning the recovery program. The physician will be asking many questions throughout this meeting. These will be related to your drinking history, including the length of time and volume of alcohol you have consumed.
Your medical and mental health histories will also be examined. They can determine if you have a mild, moderate, or severe case of AUD based on the information you provide. This might direct the detox procedures and aid in their estimation of the duration of your detox and help create a personalized plan to mitigate further health risks, including vision damage.
Medical Detox
If you suffer from moderate to severe AUD, there are some hazards related to alcohol detoxification. This is why it is never recommended for someone to try detox on their own without medical supervision.
The body will remove alcohol from its system over four to five days during detox. Days 3–4 are when symptoms peak before starting to lessen. When medication is required to reduce the discomfort of the withdrawal symptoms, the detox team will provide it.
Therapy
After detox, you’ll be stable enough to participate in therapy. The main goal of your treatment will be to use various forms of therapy that can help you change your behavior problems as needed, addressing the psychological triggers behind binge drinking.
To achieve this, evidence-based treatments that have been investigated and proven to be effective are used. These treatments consist of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), CM (Contingency Management), DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
Holistic Treatment
There is a strong correlation between mental and physical wellness. In treatment, you will learn relaxation techniques, which will improve your ability to handle stress. These methods support overall neurological and physical recovery. You are free to employ these techniques during your rehabilitation since stress might lead to a relapse.
Art therapy, drawing, yoga, mindfulness training, stretching, and breathing practice are some examples of holistic therapeutic techniques.
Ultimately, alcoholic eyes are an indication that you or a loved one needs to get treatment for AUD. The sooner alcoholism is treated, the faster the damage to the eyes will be repaired and the lower the risk of developing permanent complications.
Conclusion
For anybody worried about the impact of alcohol on their health, they must identify and comprehend the signs. By being aware of symptoms like bloodshot, red, and dilated pupils, as well as impaired vision, people may address their drinking habits and proactively maintain their general health. Taking these steps can halt and, in many cases, reverse the short-term ocular effects of alcohol.
The holistic approach to treatment is at the core of the HoZ therapy program. Restoring wellbeing is possible via this mind-body-spirit connection. Get treatment immediately to reduce the risk of developing alcoholic pupils. For any inquiries regarding the program, kindly contact us.
