Alcohol consumption can have various effects on the human body, including changes to the eyes and vision. A common belief is that drinking alcohol makes your eyes appear redder or bloodshot. But does alcohol actually change your eye color or just make the eyes look redder? Here is a quick overview of how alcohol impacts eye color and appearance.
Quick Answer: Alcohol does not directly change eye color, but it can make eyes appear more red or bloodshot by enlarging blood vessels on the surface of the eye. This causes more blood to flow through these vessels, leading to the characteristic red/bloodshot eyes many people experience after drinking. The effect is temporary and eye color returns to normal after alcohol wears off.
How does alcohol make your eyes red?
To understand why alcohol makes eyes redder, it helps to first understand the anatomy of the eye.
The colored part of the eye is called the iris. The iris contains pigment which determines your genetically inherited eye color – i.e. whether your eyes are blue, brown, green, etc. This pigment cannot be changed by external factors like alcohol consumption.
Overlying the iris is a clear, protective layer called the cornea. Alcohol cannot penetrate through to the iris to change eye color. However, alcohol does cause changes to blood vessels in the cornea and other parts of the eye.
Alcohol dilates blood vessels
Specifically, alcohol intake leads to vasodilation or widening of blood vessels across the body, including the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the sclera – the white part of the eye.
As these vessels expand, they become more visible through the clear cornea, causing the eye to appear more bloodshot or red. More blood also flows through the dilated vessels, producing the characteristic redness.
Increased blood flow
Additionally, alcohol raises heart rate and thins the blood. Thinner blood can flow more easily and the increased heart rate pumps more blood through the dilated vessels in the eyes.
This further increases blood volume in the eye’s capillaries, making the eyes look even redder than they would from vasodilation alone.
Other eye changes from alcohol
While redness is the most common eye-related side effect of alcohol consumption, drinking can also impact the eyes and vision in other ways, including:
Blurry vision
Alcohol can temporarily impair the ability to focus the eyes and cause blurred vision. This occurs because alcohol depresses the central nervous system, slowing down signals between the brain and muscles that control eye focus and movement.
Dry, irritated eyes
Dehydration from excess alcohol intake can reduce tear production, leading to dry, irritated eyes. Alcohol also seems to directly impact the oil-producing meibomian glands in the eyelids, further contributing to dry eye syndrome.
Droopy eyelids
The medical term for droopy eyelids is ptosis. Alcohol relaxes the muscles that normally hold the upper eyelids up. As these muscles relax, the eyelids can become heavy and start to droop.
Dilated pupils
Like other blood vessels in the body, alcohol can also dilate the pupils of the eyes. Pupil size changes allow more or less light into the eye to optimize vision under different lighting conditions. But excessively dilated pupils from alcohol can lead to sensitivity to light and glare.
Eye tremors
Nystagmus is the involuntary trembling or jerking of the eyes from side to side. Alcohol intoxication often induces nystagmus, interfering with steady vision.
Altered color perception
Research shows that alcohol consumption can alter color processing in the brain. Colors may appear distorted or less vivid after drinking due to changes in how nerve signals transmit color information from the eyes to the visual cortex of the brain.
Can alcohol cause permanent changes to eye color or health?
The effects of alcohol on eyes mentioned above are temporary and eye structure and function returns to normal once alcohol clears from the system. Alcohol does not appear to permanently change the color of the eyes.
However, excessive, long-term alcohol misuse does negatively impact overall eye health and can lead to lasting damage, including:
Blepharitis
Chronic inflammation of the eyelids.
Conjunctivitis
Pink eye – inflammation of the conjunctiva.
Optic neuropathy
Nerve damage leading to vision loss.
Cataracts
Clouding of the eye’s lens.
Vitamin deficiencies
Particularly deficiencies in vitamins B1, B2, B12, folate and zinc which are common in alcoholism. Vitamin deficiencies can contribute to many eye disorders.
Therefore, while an occasional glass of wine or cocktail is unlikely to permanently change your eye color or damage the eyes, excessive drinking, alcoholism and binge drinking do carry risks to eye health and vision over time. Moderation is key.
Do different types of alcohol affect eyes differently?
There is no evidence that different types of alcoholic drinks necessarily produce different eye effects.
Rather, it is the ethanol content that determines the extent of intoxication and related impacts on the body, including eye redness and other vision changes.
For instance, these effects are likely to appear quicker and more severely with drinks containing higher alcohol by volume (ABV) like spirits compared to beers or wines. But in general, all alcoholic beverages can potentially cause eye redness and temporary vision changes in proportion to ethanol content and blood alcohol levels.
Beer and wine
Beers and wines typically have ABVs in the range of 3-15%, so the effects on eyes tend to appear gradually and may be more mild compared to hard liquor.
However, drinking large volumes can still lead to eye redness and excessive beer or wine intake should be avoided.
Distilled spirits
Distilled drinks like rum, vodka, gin, tequila, and whiskey contain some of the highest ABVs, generally from 30-60%. Just one or two servings of these drinks may cause rapid eye redness and other vision changes.
Fortified wines
Fortified wines, such as port, sherry and madeira, also have elevated alcohol concentrations around 16-20% ABV. This allows the effects on eyes to appear faster than with regular wines.
So in summary, while all alcoholic beverages can impact the eyes, the response correlates with the total alcohol ingestion. Higher ABV drinks in large volumes tend to produce the most dramatic effects on eye redness, bloodshot appearance and temporary vision changes. Moderation is encouraged when consuming any type of alcohol.
Factors that influence bloodshot eyes from alcohol
Several factors influence the extent to which someone may experience red, bloodshot eyes after drinking:
Amount of alcohol consumed
Consuming higher quantities of alcohol leads to greater intoxication and more pronounced effects on the body, including eye blood vessel dilation and bloodshot appearance.
Pace of drinking
Drinking the same amount of alcohol quickly rather than slowly gives the body less time to metabolize and clear the ethanol from the system. This typically worsens alcohol-induced redness and other vision side effects.
Genetic factors
Gene variations that affect alcohol metabolism rates can make some people more vulnerable to the effects than others, even when drinking the same amount.
Pupil size
People with naturally larger pupils tend to experience more eye redness when drinking as pupil dilation allows more blood to become visible through the eyes.
Allergies and sensitivities
Some people appear to exhibit heightened sensitivity and reactions to alcohol, including severe ocular redness and irritation. They may have an allergy to compounds found in alcoholic beverages.
Eye pigmentation
Those with lighter colored irises and less melanin pigment in the eyes can show more visible inflammation and redness after drinking.
Medications and supplements
Certain regular medications and supplements like blood thinners, vasodilators, anti-histamines, St. John’s Wort, etc. may amplify alcohol’s effects on blood vessels and bloodshot eyes.
Fatigue
Being tired or sleep-deprived worsens the effects of alcohol. Fatigue reduces tolerance, so vision side effects appear more pronounced.
Treatments and remedies for alcohol-induced red eyes
The eye redness and bloodshot appearance from drinking will resolve on its own as alcohol is eliminated from the body. However, it may take several hours to clear depending on the amount consumed.
There are a few tips that may help to speed recovery and reduce eye redness after drinking:
Sleep it off
Getting adequate sleep allows the body to fully metabolize and clear excess alcohol, bringing eye blood vessels back to normal faster.
Cold compress
Applying a cold, damp washcloth over the eyes helps constrict expanded blood vessels to reduce red appearance.
Eyedrops
Over-the-counter eye drops containing vasoconstrictors such as naphazoline can temporarily shrink swollen eye blood vessels. However, they should be used sparingly.
Hydration
Drinking extra fluids prevents dehydration and thins the blood, improving circulation and potentially speeding the elimination of bloodshot eyes.
Moisturizing drops
For dry, irritated eyes from drinking, lubricating eye drops can provide relief and comfort while waiting for normal tear production to return.
However, if eye redness, irritation or vision changes persist longer than expected, it’s a good idea to visit an eye doctor to assess for potential alcohol-related damage or other underlying conditions.
Preventing alcohol-related eye issues
The most effective ways to prevent undesirable eye and vision side effects from alcohol are:
– Drinking alcohol only in moderation, avoiding excessive intake
– Consuming water or other non-alcoholic beverages between alcoholic drinks
– Pacing drinks slowly rather than drinking quickly
– Not drinking on an empty stomach
– Avoiding drinking when extremely tired or sleep-deprived
– Discussing potential interactions if taking medications that amplify alcohol effects
– Checking for potential alcohol intolerances or allergies if experiencing severe reactions
– Getting regular eye check-ups to monitor for alcohol-related damage
Can you permanently change eye color with alcohol?
No, drinking alcohol does not lead to permanent changes in natural eye coloration based on current scientific evidence and research.
As explained above, the transient red, bloodshot eyes some people experience after alcohol intake is due to expansion of blood vessels on the surface of the eye, not changes to eye pigment.
While excessive, long-term alcohol abuse can potentially damage structures in the eye and impair vision over time, there is no proof that alcohol consumption actually alters the iris pigmentation that determines eye color.
Contact lenses designed to change eye color are available, but these work by overlaying a colored film on the eye. They have no connection to alcohol whatsoever.
The only proven way to permanently change natural eye color is through surgical procedures like laser iridotomy or iris implants. However, these invasive techniques are uncommon and used primarily for medical rather than cosmetic purposes.
In summary, despite some misleading online claims, drinking alcohol has no capacity to permanently alter your natural eye color. The eyes may appear bloodshot while intoxicated, but normal white coloration and original iris pigment return once alcohol is metabolized and excreted.
Conclusion
Alcohol does not directly modify or change eye color, despite the common temporary side effect of red, bloodshot eyes after drinking. Rather, alcoholic beverages dilate blood vessels in the eyes, increasing blood flow through capillaries in the sclera which makes the whites of the eyes look more red.
This also leads to other transient vision changes like blurred vision, light sensitivity and altered color perception. However, these effects fully clear up once alcohol is eliminated from the body and no permanent eye color change or damage results from moderate, social drinking.
Excessive alcohol consumption over months or years can negatively impact eye health and structures, potentially leading to issues like cataracts or optic neuropathy. But there is no scientific evidence showing alcohol itself permanently alters the pigmentation responsible for natural eye coloration.
So while alcohol may cause temporary cosmetic changes and vision impairment while you are intoxicated, your eyes ultimately return to their natural appearance and function after becoming sober. Moderation and proper eye care helps minimize risks if you choose to drink.
