Beyond the liver, drinking a lot of alcohol over a long period of time also damages the brain and impairs its ability to function. As you can probably imagine, your eyes are even more closely connected to your brain than they are to your liver. When you drink too much over the course of many years, you are at risk of developing permanently blurred vision or even double vision.
Alcohol abuse has been linked to the development of conditions such as cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and optic nerve damage. Over time, these deficiencies can contribute to various eye disorders, including night blindness and dry eye syndrome. As you reflect on your drinking habits, consider how they may be impacting not just your overall health but also the health of your eyes. These symptoms are common among those who consume alcohol excessively.
Additionally, heavy drinking can lead to dry eyes and other forms of ocular discomfort, which can further exacerbate existing vision problems. Recognizing these issues early on is vital for maintaining your eye health. Heavy drinking can lead to long-term effects on the eyes that can range in severity from rapid eye movement to vision loss and blindness. In addition to the short-term and temporary effects of alcohol, consuming heavy amounts of alcohol can lead to irreversible eye problems over time. You might develop a painless loss of vision, decreased peripheral vision, or reduced color vision.
Blurry vision
While fatty liver disease and hepatitis can be reversed with a cessation in alcohol consumption, the same can’t be said about fibrosis and cirrhosis. Our eyes have many, tiny blood vessels within them to keep them working properly. These blood vessels are the source of the whites of our eyes changing color.
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Years of toxicity from alcohol creates oxidative stress, nutrient deficiencies and nervous system changes that harm the cornea, lens, retina, optic nerves and visual processing centers. This damage increases the risk of debilitating eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Yes, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to permanent damage to the eyes, including conditions such as alcoholic optic neuropathy, which can result in irreversible vision loss. In the short-term, people experience bloodshot eyes, blurred vision, eyelid drooping and eye movement disorders after drinking.
Alcohol causes the blood vessels in your eyes to dilate, making them look red and sometimes feel uncomfortably itchy. While this might seem like a minor issue, frequent alcohol consumption can lead to lasting damage in these blood vessels, exacerbating the red appearance. Reducing alcohol consumption is key to preventing this irritation and maintaining clear, healthy eyes. The best thing you can do to alleviate eye-related symptoms caused by alcohol consumption is to cut back on drinking or eliminate alcohol altogether. Light to moderate alcohol consumption should not have a lasting impact on your vision.
However, in the short-term, even one drink can have negative effects on the eyes (e.g., dry eyes). Some studies suggest that chronic heavy drinkers may risk developing cataracts—clouding over the lens that results from hardening. Additionally, speaking with a healthcare professional about your drinking habits can provide valuable insights into how alcohol may be affecting your body and eyes specifically. They can help you develop a personalized plan for reducing or eliminating alcohol from your life while addressing any underlying issues that may contribute to your drinking behavior. Remember that seeking help is a sign of strength and an essential step toward reclaiming your health. Being mindful of how much you drink can significantly lower your risk of developing eye-related issues.
Excessive Drinking and Eye Damage: What Are Alcoholic Eyes?
This condition severely affects central vision, crucial for reading, driving, and facial recognition. It poses a significant risk, especially for older adults, impacting essential daily activities and overall quality of life. The eyes work harder to compensate for their reduced efficiency, leading to strain.
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– Mitochondrial dysfunction – Alcohol metabolism generates reactive molecules that damage optic nerve mitochondria. Since mitochondria produce energy for the high-demand nerve cells, dysfunction leads to nerve impairment. – Nerve compression – Alcohol can cause optic nerve swelling and nerve fiber compression. Nystagmus when drunk occurs because alcohol depresses the neural centers that normally hold the eyes steady. The vestibular apparatus and projections to the extraocular muscles malfunction, causing the eyes to make quick corrections.
What to know about the effects of alcohol on the eyes
- It’s another example of the impact alcohol has on your eyes that goes beyond just experiencing a temporary buzz.
- For those who consume alcohol excessively, regular eye exams should be a priority.
- John’s key responsibilities include maintaining the day-to-day operations from both a clinical and housing perspective.
- This disease doesn’t lead to complete blindness, however, and it’s not painful.
- It’s important to note that the changes in pupil dilation caused by alcohol are temporary and reversible.
Amanda Marinelli is a Board Certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC) with over 10 years of experience in the field of mental health and substance abuse. Amanda completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice and Post Masters Certification in Psychiatry at Florida Atlantic University. She is a current member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and the Delta Epsilon Iota Honor Society. Brie graduated as a high school valedictorian with a major in Health Technologies and continued her studies at Springfield Technical Community College with a focus on healthcare. She served in Operations and HR for a finance company for ten years, before returning to healthcare and eventually arriving at USR. Laurel has over twenty years’ experience in legal and regulatory affairs in both the public and private sectors.
But if you are a heavy drinker—which means consuming alcohol more than a few times per week or binge drinking—you will likely experience health issues as a result. It is hard to predict whether you will develop effects that harm your liver, heart, nerves, or eyes, and you can experience a combination of these. If you drink excessively, be sure to see a healthcare professional so you can get help cutting down before the effects on your health get worse. Drinking too much alcohol can have negative effects on various parts of the body, including the eyes. According to a recent article on eyesurgeryguide.org, excessive alcohol consumption can potentially worsen eye problems such as cataracts.
You’ve learned how alcohol affects not only your overall health but also specifically targets your eyes and vision over time. From immediate effects like blurred vision to long-term issues such as cataracts and optic neuropathy, the risks are significant. A more severe condition linked with heavy drinking is optic neuropathy, which can result in vision loss and an inability to see colors correctly. This happens because alcohol toxins affect the optic nerves directly.
- If they’re enlarged due to allergies or another source of inflammation, it can make your eyes appear pink-tinted.
- – Microglia activation – Alcohol triggers microglia cells in the optic nerve to become hyperactive.
- Remember that seeking help is a sign of strength and an essential step toward reclaiming your health.
- As you continue to drink excessively over time, you may find yourself facing a range of eye problems that can significantly impact your quality of life.
- This is because too much alcohol causes the blood vessels in your eyes to grow, making your eyes appear red and bloodshot and sometimes feel painful.
What many don’t realize is that alcohol use can influence vision, and even increase your risk of developing a vision impairment. At San Antonio Recovery Center, we often get questions about alcohol and its common side effects. One question we hear often is about yellow eyes and whether they relate to alcohol use. If you’ve ever experienced blurred eyesight after having one too many to drink, you won’t be surprised to learn that alcohol can have an effect on the way that our eyes focus.
If they’re enlarged due to allergies or another source of inflammation, it can make your eyes appear pink-tinted. When bile within our body isn’t processed as it should be, it can build up in the bloodstream, leading to a yellow-tint. Addressing these underlying issues can prevent relapse and support a healthier future. If you’re living with an alcoholic, you know how these dynamics can strain relationships and impact everyone in the household. Recognizing and dealing with these foundational problems can bring healing not just to the individual, but to their loved ones as well.
Treatments what happens to your eyes when you drink alcohol can vary based on how alcohol has affected a person’s eyes and optic nerve. Your muscles might not move as effectively while you are under the influence of alcohol. When this happens, you may have blurred vision or double vision due to weakened eye-muscle coordination.
You don’t have to give up alcohol entirely to prevent these negative vision-related side effects. As we mentioned before, drinking occasionally is not likely to cause any damage to your eyesight. Even if your drinking doesn’t lead to AMD or optic neuropathy, there are still other, more minor issues you should worry about. These migraines can be accompanied by sensitivity to light and other related vision problems.
Several other health issues can also result from long-term heavy drinking. Long-term heavy drinking can cause interference between the brain and the eyes. It may also damage or speed up the aging of various structures inside the eye, such as the lens, retina, and optic nerve. Short-term effects may result from intoxication, which people often describe as “being drunk.” This occurs when alcohol affects the central nervous system.