Have you ever looked in the mirror and noticed that your eyes were droopy, glassy, or bloodshot after a night of heavy drinking? If so, you might know about alcohol eyes.
This term refers to the way a person’s eyes look after consuming alcohol—but redness and glassiness aren’t the only ways that drinking can impact eye health. In the long run, too much alcohol can cause damage that increases your risk of eye-related conditions, potentially leading to vision loss and other complications down the line.
But why exactly do alcohol eyes happen, and how can you avoid them? Read on to learn about the causes, symptoms, risks, and what to do if you feel like drinking is taking a toll on your eye health.
What Are Alcoholic Eyes?
Alcoholic eyes (or drunk eyes) are a common phenomenon that can happen after moderate or heavy drinking. In casual settings, people use this term to refer to the glassy, droopy, or bloodshot appearance of eyes when drunk. But chronic, heavy drinking can lead to vision and eye changes that extend beyond when you’re intoxicated or hungover.
This is because, over time, alcohol can harm the eye muscles, blood vessels, optic nerves, and organs that affect eye health. As a result, it can lead to a bloodshot appearance, yellowing, dark circles, and other signs that we often associate with heavy alcohol use.
Recognizing Alcoholic Eyes
The main signs and symptoms of alcoholic eyes include:
- Redness or visible blood vessels in the eyes
- Droopy or heavy eyelids
- A glossy or glassy appearance
- Abnormal or rapid eye movement (nystagmus)
Causes of Alcoholic Eyes
Alcoholic eyes have a distinct appearance, but why—and how—do they happen? In the short term, being drunk can cause blurry vision and abnormal eye movement by slowing down your central nervous system and your brain’s ability to receive signals from your eyes. It also widens blood vessels, which is what gives the eyes a red, swollen, and bloodshot appearance.
Yellowing of the eyes more often comes with long-term, heavy drinking and liver damage. This is called jaundice, and it happens when your liver can’t break down bilirubin—a pigment found in bile—which can then build up in your skin and the whites of your eyes. Additionally, alcohol dries out the eyes, slows down the muscles, and reduces your blinking speed, all of which can cause glassy eyes when drunk.
Schedule a private call with a Ria Health team member and we can help you get started.
How Alcohol Affects Vision
If you’ve ever been drunk, you probably know about some of the ways alcohol can affect your vision. For example, even a few drinks can cause things to look blurry or give you “double vision” (which is just one of the reasons why drunk driving is so dangerous).
But another lesser-known fact is that alcohol can harm your vision in the long run, too. For example, one 2021 review found that moderate or heavy drinking may be linked to early age-related macular degeneration, a condition that affects the center of your vision. And this isn’t the only eye condition that alcohol may contribute to.
But why and how can alcohol lead to eye health problems? In short, chronic drinking can harm the optic nerve, retina, and lens, as well as slow down the communication between your brain and eyes. It can also cause oxidative stress, which may speed up cell aging in the eyes. Over time, these effects can cause or worsen symptoms like eye pain, floaters, dryness, and vision loss.
Dangers of Alcoholic Eyes
Left untreated, alcohol-related eye damage can put you at risk of vision issues, some being serious. Aside from affecting your eye and pupil function as a whole, some conditions that have been reported to be worsened by heavy drinking include:
- Cataracts
- Macular degeneration
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Retinal vascular disease
- Nutritional optic neuropathy
- Ocular surface disease
- Amblyopia (also known as lazy eye)
- Dry eyes
When To Seek Medical Attention
Once the alcohol (or hangover) wears off, you might feel like your vision bounces completely back to normal. But if you drink often and have noticed that your vision seems “off” lately, it might be a good idea to see an eye doctor for a checkup. They can test your eyes for damage that might be flying under the radar, which can help you stop it before it becomes serious.
Be sure to visit an eye doctor if you notice:
- Frequent or constant blurry vision
- Color changes
- Poor night vision
- Light sensitivity
- Frequently dry or bloodshot eyes
- Migraine symptoms involving the eyes
In addition, be sure to seek immediate medical attention if you have nausea, bleeding, or a sudden headache with eye pain, as these can sometimes indicate a more serious medical condition.
Managing and Preventing Alcoholic Eyes
If drinking has taken a toll on your eye health, the good news is that there are steps you can take to mitigate or stop the damage. Your first best step is to make cutting back or quitting drinking a priority. But if you’re already sober or practicing moderation, here are some other steps you can take to support your eyes in recovery:
- Eat a healthy diet rich in carotenoids, vitamin A, D3, zinc, and omega-3s
- Exercise regularly to help manage blood pressure (since high blood pressure can also damage eye health)
- Use hats or sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV rays
- Give yourself regular breaks from screen time
- Stop smoking, which can be another risk factor for some eye conditions
Reducing Your Drinking for Better Eye Health
When you think of alcoholic eyes, you might only think of their classic bloodshot, droopy, and glassy appearance. But the truth is, heavy alcohol use can do more than just affect the way your eyes look. In the long term, it can put you at risk of eye health conditions and vision loss that can negatively impact your quality of life.
Fortunately, by reducing your drinking, making a trip to your eye doctor, and focusing on some key lifestyle changes, you could prevent any more damage—and keep your eyes healthier in the long run.
If you’ve been trying to cut back but are having trouble doing so on your own (or aren’t able to join a traditional treatment program), a program like Ria Health may be a good fit for you. Ria Health is a comprehensive alcohol recovery program that offers medical support, coaching, anti-craving prescriptions, and more, all from the comfort of your home.
Speak with a team member today to get started, or learn more about how it works.
