Drink Less
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol over a prolonged period of time can cause blindness and loss of vision with an increased risk of eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and AMD. Drinking responsibly will help reduce the risk of developing these sight threatening conditions.
Short-term effects of alcohol on eyesight
- Blurry vision – it can be harder to focus on objects because alcohol interferes with your eye muscle coordination.
- Double vision – because alcohol affects the communication between the eye and brain that form the images we see.
- Difficulty adjusting to bright or dark lighting – because the pupils in your eyes react more slowly under the influence of alcohol.
- Lower contrast sensitivity – making it harder to distinguish between colours.
Long-term effects of alcohol on eyesight
Heavy alcohol consumption can lead to long-term effects on your eyes, including chronic dry eyes.
It’s common to have dry eyes after drinking. Alcohol affects your eyes’ ability to lubricate themselves effectively with tears. With sustained heavy drinking, dry eyes can develop from a short-term side effect into a chronic one. Symptoms include blurred vision, discomfort and irritation, and a stinging sensation.
