As part of routine eye care, it is important to lower your alcohol consumption. We shall discuss how uncontrolled alcohol consumption affects your eye health:
1. Distorted/double vision
Distorted and double vision are two of the most common manifestations of regular and heavy alcohol consumption. When you are under the influence of alcohol, the communication between your brain’s neurotransmitters are sedated. The delayed communication impairs eye muscle coordination leading to distorted and/or double vision.
Double vision is not something that you could ignore- and that is irrespective of your drinking habit. Treat it as a medical emergency. Consult an eye specialist immediately if you notice double vision. You could now directly consult with an eye doctor online.
2. Slower pupil reaction
Alcohol slows down the speed at which the iris constricts and dilates. This becomes an issue while performing activities that require constant focus. For example, drunk drivers may not be able to quickly adapt to flashing headlights.
3. Bloodshot eyes
Alcohol causes the blood vessels in the eyes to dilate which leads to eye redness. Also, bloodshot eyes are characteristic to people who heavily or regularly consume alcohol.
4. Worsening of dry eyes
Heavy consumption of alcohol is linked to worsening of dry eyes. Dry eyes occur when the tear glands aren’t able to produce sufficient or quality tears for proper lubrication of the eyes. In rare cases, the eye complication occurs when the tears quickly evaporate.
5. Impaired peripheral vision
Regular consumption of alcohol has been linked with impairment in the peripheral vision, the part of the vision which occurs on the side gaze. As a result, you may risk having tunnel vision in the course of time.
6. Visual auras of migraines
A study found out that alcohol is commonly reported to be a migraine trigger. If you drink heavily, you put yourself at the risk of migraine. You may see visual auras such as graying of vision, patterns of lights, and/or blind spots before the onset of headaches.
Tips to lower/quit alcohol
Even if you are well aware of the fact that heavy alcohol consumption can be harmful for your eye health, quitting or even controlling your habit may come across as a tough challenge. Here are some of the ways you could control your alcohol consumption:
1) Avoid temptation
You might find it tempting to gulp a glassful on certain days in a week or in a specific time of the day. Fight the urge by keeping yourself occupied during those hours. Suppose you have a habit of drinking on weekends during the evenings, to break the habit – you could watch movies, spend time at the park or go to the gym.
2) You don’t have to quit it altogether
Gradually lowering your alcohol consumption is the key to letting go of the habit.
3) Reward your progress
Making changes to your lifestyle is one of the biggest challenges you may have to face. Rewarding yourself for even the little progress you make to quit the habit helps you stay motivated to reach your goal.