Do you have addiction eyes? What do alcoholic eyes look like? If you are asking these questions, it may be because someone has told you that you have changes to your eyes or even called them alcoholic eyes. Alcohol impacts the body in numerous ways. Many people recognize those changes to the liver and kidneys that are common, but they may not know much about what alcohol can do to the eyes themselves.
What Do Alcoholic Eyes Look Like?
The eyes are at risk when a person struggles with addiction. These are physical changes to the way the eyes look that may be temporary but could also become permanent. This is the direct result of the toxins found in alcohol, and the more you consume, the higher you are at risk for these complications. So what do alcoholic eyes look like?
- Reddening of the whites of the eyes
- A yellowish tint to the whites of the eyes
If you notice these changes, it may be time to talk to your doctor about what may be happening.
The Meaning of Alcoholic Eyes
The way your eyes look is important, but your eyes are also suffering from those toxic levels in other ways. Sometimes, a person may develop blurry vision. This is common in people with alcoholic eyes. This could be due to the amount of glucose in your bloodstream since alcohol raises your blood sugar level to dangerous levels, which can cause blurriness.
In addition to this, alcohol slows down the communication between the brain and the various parts of the body, including your eyes. As your brain is moving so much slower when you are drinking, that can slow down the communication between your brain and your eyes, creating an unclear image or a type of distortion because your eyes are unable to focus. This happens because it takes the pupils of the yes longer to dilate, meaning that you may not be able to see well. This is also a common reason why people struggle with being able to drive.
Blindness – Is It a Risk?
Alcohol can cause vision loss. Alcohol blindness symptoms may be easy to ignore initially, but over time you may find it very difficult to recover from this. This is one of the scariest, but it is a very likely consequence of consistent alcohol use. It can cause permanent blindness or vision loss in some people.
While there is still a lot of research to do to determine what causes this specifically, it is typically the result of alcohol’s ability to speed up the natural aging of the eyes. In short, conditions like macular degeneration and optic neuropathy, which are common in older people, are more likely to be present in a person who has an alcohol addiction. Other studies indicate that it may be due to a lack of vitamin A in your diet.
If you see alcohol blindness symptoms like these, be sure to get in to see your doctor immediately:
- Periods of time where you cannot see well at all
- Areas of black or blocked out vision in your field of vision
- Seeing black dots or shadows in your eyes
- Being able to focus for long periods of time
- Periods of time where you may lose all of your vision
Does alcohol cause blindness often? It is not the most common side effect of consistent alcohol use, but it can happen. Unfortunately, it is not possible to know if it will happen to you unless you are in a position where you are using a significant amount of alcohol on a consistent basis.
Do You Have Alcoholic Eyes? What Should You Do About It?
What do alcoholic eyes look like over time? Do they heal? It is very common for people who have this condition to find themselves unsure of what to do to fix it. Your first step is to visit your doctor to discuss your treatment options. Be sure to provide your doctor with insight into your alcohol consumption. There may be treatment options available for some people that can relieve many of the symptoms you have. However, long term, without treatment and with continued alcohol use, you may lose your vision permanently.
Get Help for Alcohol Addiction Today
Consider what may be happening as well: alcohol addiction. If you are like many other people who have red, sunken eyes, and a fear of losing your vision, you can do something about it right now by seeking out addiction treatment. Through the help of a treatment center, it is possible to gain more control over your health and wellbeing. You may even find yourself able to finally break free from the inability not to drink.
Turn to a treatment center today to find out how they can help you to find your way forward. If you want to learn more, give us a call at (866) 971-5531. Our team is available for a 100% free and confidential discussion.
