Focus on Eyes: Did you know excessive drinking can cause damage to the eye? Well, it can.
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The harmful effects of alcohol in the brain and liver are well known.
The damages to the eye and vision from excessive alcohol use are less recognized.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines excessive drinking as four or more drinks in one sitting for women and five or more drinks for men, or a weekly total of eight or more drinks for women and 15 or more drinks for men.
Nutritional deficiencies are frequently associated with chronic excessive alcohol consumption. Vitamin A deficiency is associated with drying cornea, corneal scarring and corneal perforation.
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Severe vitamin A deficiency can lead to night blindness.
Vitamin B1 or thiamine deficiency can result in double vision, eye muscle paralysis and nystagmus or dancing eyes.
These patients often have confusion, change in mental status and unsteady gait.
Deficiency in Vitamin B12 can damage the optic nerve which connects the eye to the brain.
The symptoms of sick optic nerve include impaired color vision and permanent visual loss.
Heavy drinking may be associated with increased risk of cataract formation, which may be result of oxidative stress or accidents during imbibitions. Age-related macular degeneration may get worse because of oxidative and toxic effects of alcohol on the retina.
Drinking alcohol appears to cause dry eyes.
Ethanol in alcoholic beverages can be detected in the tear film, which makes the eyes feel dry and scratchy.
In addition, alcohol is a diuretic which may decrease tear secretion. Women seem to be more susceptible to the dry eye effects of alcohol.
Most alcohol-related eye and visual damages resolve with cessation of drinking.
Vitamin A supplement can reverse dry cornea and night blindness but not visual loss from corneal perforation or opacity.
A person with symptoms with Vitamin B1 deficiency should be evaluated by a neurologist and treated promptly with intravenous infusion of vitamin B1.
Any person with symptoms of sick optic nerve should have blood test for vitamin levels. Vitamin supplements and nutritional consult help to recover some visual loss.
Chronic excessive alcohol consumption can cause severe eye damage.
Early detection, frank discussion and early treatment can reverse or minimize the visual loss.
Dr. Frederick Ho, the medical director of Atlantic Eye MD and Atlantic Surgery and Laser Center, is a board certified ophthalmologist. Atlantic Eye MD is located at 8040 N. Wickham Road in Melbourne. To make an appointment please call (321) 757-7272. To learn more visit AtlanticEyeMD.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Drinking too much can lead to eye problems beyond the usual blurred vision
