Family Encyclopedia >> Health

The influence of alcohol on your vision

The influence of alcohol on your vision

When you are drunk, your vision is less sharp. But even if you stay under the limit, so that you are still allowed to drive, alcohol already affects your vision.

Specsavers reminds us of that again with the holidays approaching. Research they have done shows that 67 percent of the participants think that alcohol has no effect on vision.

The maximum permitted blood alcohol level for participation in traffic is 0.5. Men reach this percentage within an hour after drinking about two glasses of alcohol, with women it often goes faster. It also depends on your weight and what you ate that day.

What happens to your vision after drinking alcohol?
Simone Stad, optometrist at Specsavers:'Alcohol works on your eye muscles, making you squint and your vision deteriorates. The pupils react more slowly and the contrast between light and dark is less noticeable. This can be especially dangerous when you hit the road at night and your eyes are less responsive to the headlights of oncoming cars. Excessive alcohol intake reduces the ability to estimate distances, perceive colors and narrows the field of vision. As a result, you no longer see what is happening left and right and you see brake lights, direction indicators and reflectors less quickly.'

Source and image:Specsavers