How does alcohol affect the eyes?

It can cause brain atrophy and shrink your brain over time,” shares Dr. Anand. It slows down the brain’s processing speed, which results in your visual sensory processing also taking a hit. From slow pupil reactions to weakened eye muscle coordination, your peepers aren’t at their peak performance when you’re under the influence. This lag can make judging distances accurately or quickly changing your focus difficult, which is why driving under the influence is a big no-no.

Alcohol Consumption and Blurred or Double Vision

Possible short-term problems relating to intoxication include blurry vision, changes in color perception, and light sensitivity. For example, many people have occult eye muscle imbalances, but the sober brain can preserve crisp, single vision. Once the person has consumed a little alcohol, the brain relaxes that control and vision problems become apparent. However, these changes will go away once the alcohol has cleared the system. But as you drink more — and you don’t need to drink that much more — eventually, the enzymes that break down the alcohol get saturated. So, the alcohol builds up quite quickly,” explains addiction psychiatrist Akhil Anand, MD.

• Did you know that alcohol affects not only your liver and brain but also your eyes?
• From slow pupil reactions to weakened eye muscle coordination, your peepers aren’t at their peak performance when you’re under the influence.
• We can examine your eyes and answer any questions concerning your long-term eye health.
• Your muscles might not move as effectively while you are under the influence of alcohol.
• Alcohol is common at social gatherings, casual nights out, or for a celebratory toast for many people.

Alcohol and Eye Health: The Effect of Alcohol on Vision

Possible treatments include corrective lenses or glasses to correct blurred or distorted vision and use of eye drops to address bloodshot eyes. Intoxication is responsible for short-term effects such as blurred vision. Once a person recovers from intoxication, their vision should return to normal. Before you reach for your next drink, Dr. Anand explains how alcohol can affect your brain — not only in the short term, but also in the long run.

Short-term effects of alcohol on the eyes

A good layer of tears on the surface of the eye plays a vital role in clear vision. That is why people with dry eye disease tend to have poor or fluctuating vision. Due to conflicting evidence on blurry vision hangover the role alcohol may play in chronic vision conditions, more research is necessary to clarify the long-term effects of heavy alcohol use on the eyes. In the short-term, overconsumption of alcohol can result in blurry or double vision.

• For many, these issues are deeply intertwined with personal experiences, trauma, or stressors that may not be obvious at first glance.
• Comprehensive addiction treatment provides the medical oversight, emotional support, and therapeutic guidance needed to navigate the complexities of recovery safely.
• You may also be able to find alcohol addiction treatment near you by visiting the SAMHSA treatment locator.
• The optic nerve is especially susceptible to damage from Methanol (a type of alcohol, which is used for paints, glue and disinfection).

Can drinking alcohol make dry eyes worse?

Find out why Florida Eye Specialists & Cataract Institute is the name more Tampa Bay residents have trusted with their eye care since 1981. Your overall responses can slow down while you are under the influence of alcohol. This means that it can take a little longer than usual for your brain to recognize what you are seeing, and it can take longer than usual for you to decide what to do about it. Drinking alcohol may decrease the sensitivity of your peripheral vision.

Optic Neuropathy

The treatment for vision problems related to alcohol consumption can vary based on individual cases. Your eye doctor can determine the underlying cause or recommend reducing alcohol consumption to reduce your risk of dry eye disease and other effects. One such consequence of alcohol is dry eyes, which can significantly disrupt eye comfort and overall eye health. If you experience symptoms of dry eyes, such as a gritty feeling, redness, or blurry vision, visit an eye doctor for a timely diagnosis and treatment. The long term effects of alcohol on the eyes and vision can be permanent if not caught and treated in their early stages.

Changing your relationship with alcohol

The potential long-term issues relate to changes to the eyes’ structures or the communication between the eyes and brain. These effects may be more permanent and can include reduced vision, migraine headaches, sensitivity to light, and even blindness. Long-term excessive drinking can lead to potential health issues, including problems with vision. It robs the eyes of essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, which is important to maintaining night vision. Practicing with a focus on dry eye disease has allowed our patients to get appropriate and adequate care for a disease that has been under diagnosed for decades. Finally we have the tools and scientific support to get people the help they need to preserve their visual comfort.

When consuming alcohol in moderation, the body can metabolize it and excrete it through the liver and kidneys. In contrast, when consumption is excessive, that often leads to a buildup of toxins causing alcohol eyesight damage and eye problems. Oftentimes even small amounts of liquor or spirits could cause puffy and bloodshot ‘alcohol eyes’. You may consider first reaching out to a doctor, as they may be able to help determine your medical needs and possibly refer you to treatment centers. You may also be able to find alcohol addiction treatment near you by visiting the SAMHSA treatment locator. Alcohol can make your eyes more sensitive to light, leading to discomfort in brightly lit environments or on sunny days.

This condition significantly diminishes visual clarity and can progress to blindness if untreated. Alcohol impacts the structural proteins of the lens, accelerating the clouding process. Recognizing and addressing this risk can prevent severe visual impairment and maintain eye health. Now that you know what the effects of over-indulgence of alcohol and long-term excessive drinking, you will be aware of how it can affect the eye and eyesight. This is in addition to the problems arising with other organs and the health of the whole body from excessive or long-term alcohol abuse.

Most importantly, the best thing you can do to prevent alcohol abuse from affecting your eyesight is to stop drinking completely. People who consider themselves to be “social drinkers” are at risk of developing long-term health issues because of the amount of alcohol they regularly consume. Regularly drinking doesn’t mean binge drinking or getting drunk daily – it can be defined as 3 alcoholic beverages for men or 2 for women daily. A common form is wine, which is a staple for many Americans during their evening meal. The majority of people do not realize that consuming alcohol on a regular basis can be the cause of significant long-term health problems and other life-threatening effects. Also referred to as tobacco-alcohol amblyopia, people who drink or smoke in excess can develop optic neuropathy, though it is rare.