How Does Alcohol Affect the Eyes?

Everyone knows drinking alcohol isn't considered a healthy habit. Still, many people like to indulge in a glass of wine or a chilled beer after a long day or when hanging out with friends. One of the ways you can tell alcohol isn't good for you is by how your body responds to it. You might get a warm, fuzzy feeling while drinking, but you pay for this short-term benefit afterward with hangovers and more. Keep reading if you've ever found yourself wondering what alcohol does to your eyes.  

Alcohol negatively affects your body in many ways, including your eyes. There are immediate, temporary effects, such as blurred vision and bloodshot eyes. Excessive drinking can also lead to more severe long-term problems, such as permanently dry eyes and blindness.  

Short-term effects 

Alcohol impacts a person's ability to see clearly. This is precisely why it's illegal to drink and drive. No matter how "fine" you feel after drinking, your body has been impacted, and you're not functioning at your full abilities.  

When you drink, your body relaxes, and you lose some control of your muscles. As a result, you may have weakened eye-muscle coordination, which gives you blurred vision or double vision.  

After having a drink (or more), you may notice these short-term effects: 

• Blurred vision 

• Slow pupil reactions 

• Irregular eye movement 

• Impaired color perception 

• Sensitivity to light   

• Decreased peripheral vision 

• Red eyes 

• Migraines 

• Eye twitching 

Long-term effects 

We're going to sound like your mom giving you a lecture as a teenager, but too much drinking is bad for you. You probably know that already. But you may not know just how bad it really can be.  

Someone who binge drinks regularly is doing a lot of harm to their health and body that can have long-term effects and permanent consequences.  

Some of the potential irreversible eye issues caused by excessive drinking are: 

• Partial or complete loss of vision 

• Decreased peripheral vision 

• Reduced color vision due to a decrease in the pupil's ability to dilate 

• Permanently bloodshot eyes 

• Delayed reaction between the eyes and the brain, resulting in double vision 

• Nutritional optic neuropathy, which can lead to vision loss 

• Early onset age-related macular degeneration 

• Dry eyes 

Learn more about alcohol's impact on your vision, including details on bloodshot eyes after drinking, swollen eyes after drinking, and what the eyes of an alcoholic look like.  

Why do my eyes get red when I drink? 

Have you ever had a few drinks with friends, and suddenly, everyone asks you if you're okay or if you've indulged in the wacky tobacky? Your drinking has caused you to have bloodshot eyes, and you don't know why.  

Red or bloodshot eyes can be a side effect of drinking too much. Alcohol relaxes and expands the blood vessels in the eyes, increasing blood flow. For some people, this leads to red eyes temporarily.  

Does drinking alcohol always make your eyes red? No. Not everyone who overindulges on alcohol will get red eyes. After all, you've never looked around a bar and seen a crowd of bloodshot eyes looking back at you, have you?  

Bloodshot eyes from drinking can happen to anyone, but it ultimately depends on several factors: 

• How much alcohol was consumed 

• Alcohol potency 

• The person's unique physiology 

• If the person is wearing contacts 

• If the person is dehydrated  

• If the person has an extenuating condition 

Red eyes from contacts vs. drinking 

You can get red eyes from wearing your contacts (for several reasons), and you might wear your contacts when drinking. So, how can you know if your bloodshot eyes are due to your contacts or due to you having a few beers? 

Ultimately, it can be hard to tell which is causing your red eyes.  

Your red eyes might be from your contacts if your lenses are dirty or damaged, you've been wearing them too long, or your eyes are dry.  

On the other hand, you might be able to blame the alcohol for your red eyes if you recently drank a lot or have a history of getting red eyes when drinking.  

Still trying to understand which one it is? The best way to test out what's causing your red eyes is to see if your contacts give you bloodshot eyes on a day when you haven't had a drink.  

How to prevent red eyes when drinking 

No one wants to go out for a night of social drinking only to have noticeably bloodshot eyes. You'll spend the whole night responding to people asking whether you're okay, which, let's be honest, is a mood killer.  

There are several ways you can prevent red eyes when drinking, including moderating your alcohol consumption, staying hydrated, using eye drops, and wearing glasses.  

• Moderate alcohol consumption: Alcohol increases blood flow and can cause red eyes. One way to avoid this is by cutting down your drinking. You can stick to the CDC recommendations for drinking (one drink per day for women and two for men), or you can alternate your drinks, so every second drink is nonalcoholic.  

• Avoid dehydration: Alcohol is dehydrating, which can make your eyes dry, irritated, and bloodshot. So, when consuming alcohol, try to drink lots of water. You can also use eye drops to keep your eyes hydrated.  

• Avoid contacts: If worn for long periods, contacts can dry out your eyes. This, combined with the dehydrating effects of alcohol, can lead to red eyes quickly. Consider ditching the contacts and pulling out your trendy glasses next time you go drinking.  

Remember that your health and safety matter the most. Don't just look for quick solutions if you suspect your bloodshot eyes are due to a serious issue, such as an underlying health condition. It's always best to contact a health care professional when in doubt or if a health issue is suspected.  

Be mindful of your drinking habits. Alcohol addiction is a serious condition that can lead to permanent and life-threatening health complications. For substance abuse treatment, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). 

Swollen eyelids after drinking 

Some people wake up after a night of drinking and have noticeably swollen eyelids. Several factors, including dehydration, inflammation, and a lack of sleep, can cause swollen eyelids.  

Let's take a closer look at each potential cause: 

• Dehydration: We've said it at least 10 times already — alcohol is dehydrating. For some people, this can cause puffy eyelids. 

• Inflammation: Alcohol can cause inflammation throughout your body, which makes you appear swollen in certain areas, such as the eyelids. 

• Lack of sleep: Many people think pouring themselves a nightcap will send them to a deep and easy sleep. In reality, alcohol disrupts our sleep. If you have a poor night of rest, you may wake up with swollen eyelids.  

Puffy eyes from drinking vs. swelling 

Imagine you had far too many drinks last night, stumbled home into bed, and woke up to a shock in the mirror. Your eyes are puffy and swollen. Now you have to wonder — is this a reaction to the drinking, or is this a medical emergency? 

Your eyes might be swollen due to drinking because you had a poor night's sleep, or you're dehydrated. On the other hand, non-alcohol-related explanations for a swollen eye might be an infection, injury to the eye, or allergies.  

We don’t mean to fear-monger, but it’s important to know when swelling is more than a temporary alcohol-induced side effect.  

Swelling should disappear within 12 to 24 hours after your body processes the alcohol. If the swelling is still around after this timeframe, it might not be alcohol related.  

It's highly uncommon for drinking to cause just one eye to swell. If you wake up with one swollen eye, you should see a doctor immediately.  

If you suspect that your swollen eye isn't due to heavy drinking, consult a medical professional immediately. Your eyes are too valuable for you to ignore something as serious as unexplained swelling. That would be like having a knife sticking out of your leg and deciding it doesn't need medical attention.  

How to get rid of puffy eyes after drinking alcohol 

Waking up with puffy, swollen eyes after a fun night of drinking probably isn't the image you want to present to the world. After all, you don't need your coworkers to know you went on a bit of a bender last night.  

So, how do you get rid of puffy eyes after drinking? You can catch up on some sleep, drink plenty of water, and apply a cold compress to reduce the swelling.  

If I quit drinking, will the bags under my eyes go away?  

Drinking can cause prominent undereye bags because of fluid retention and disrupted sleep. So, will quitting drinking help those bags that give away your age disappear? The answer is yes, sort of.  

Drinking can enhance the appearance of your undereye bags the next day when you're tired and dehydrated. So, quitting drinking will eliminate these instances. But eliminating alcohol isn't an age-reversal machine that completely undoes existing undereye bags caused by genetics, age, and lifestyle habits.  

The bottom line: Quitting drinking helps, but it's not an all-in cure for undereye bags. If it were, every actress in Hollywood would be bragging about their sobriety.  

Yellow eyes after drinking 

We've saved the worst symptom for last. Yellow eyes after drinking are a concerning warning sign that you should not ignore. This can be a symptom of alcoholic jaundice or alcoholic hepatitis, which are both serious conditions. If these medical conditions are left unaddressed, they can lead to life-threatening illnesses. 

Alcoholic jaundice is a symptom of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), which causes the eyes and skin to turn yellow. Jaundice is one of the more advanced symptoms of ALD, showing up when the condition is worsening in an individual.  

Alcoholic hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by long-term, excessive alcohol consumption. If left untreated, alcoholic hepatitis can lead to organ failure and death. The most common sign of alcoholic hepatitis is the yellowing of the skin and eyes.