Alcohol and Sight Loss Fact Sheet
July 2020
Moderate drinking of alcohol will have a temporary effect on your sight, but regular drinking can carry a long term risk. Heavy drinking carries greater risks.
Short Term Effects of Alcohol Use
Light sensitivity due to migraines
- Red or bloodshot eyes due to alcohol and swelling blood vessels in the eyes
- Rapid eye movement – involuntary eye movement
- Eye twitching
- Increased dryness
- Decreased contrast sensitivity
Long Term Effects of Regular or Heavy Alcohol Use
- Blurred or double vision can become permanent. These impairments are caused by the weakening of the muscles in the eye. Having impaired eyesight in this way can also decrease your reaction time.
- Altered peripheral vision, leading to tunnel vision.
- Slower pupil reaction. Pupils will not be able to constrict or open up as well, which can make night driving very difficult.
- Colour contrast. It will become difficult to distinguish between different shades of similar colours.
- Optic neuropathy. This can cause loss of vision (which will most likely be painless), decreased peripheral vision, and problems seeing colours. It is a more serious condition than some of the other effects described above. It is an ongoing condition that grows worse over time.
- Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Drinking excess alcohol over a sustained period of time can increase your risk of getting AMD.
- The risk of developing cataracts is slightly increased by sustained or heavy drinking.
