One of the most common questions that we get from folks new to distilling is, ‘Is it true that moonshine can make you go blind?’ No, moonshine does not make you go blind, but high doses of methanol certainly can.
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Why does bad alcohol make you blind?
Alcohol Addiction Increases the Risk of Blindness The type of alcohol that has the potential to cause blindness is methanol. These substances can immediately damage the nervous system, including the eye nerves. Initially, it causes inflammation, followed by the death of nervous system tissue, which can cause blindness and lead to death.
The alcohol content of alcoholic beverages varies. Most types of alcoholic beverages that are drunk are types of ethanol compounds with the molecular formula C2H5OH. This type of alcohol can affect the central nervous system, so when it is drunk, it will certainly cause the person consuming it to lose consciousness, and in severe conditions, it can cause death.
In the manufacture of adulterated alcohol (self-mixed), it is often mixed with methanol (CH3OH) or benzene (C6H6). These materials can also cause poisoning and cause permanent nerve damage (blindness or death). The mixed material has been fused with alcohol and cannot be separated or decomposed.
- Methanol is a type of chemical substance that can cause blindness and paralysis when it enters the body.
- In mild cases, benzene causes a deficiency of erythrocytes (a condition when the level of red blood cells in the body falls below the normal range) and leukocytes (a condition when the number of white blood cells in the body falls below normal).
Meanwhile, in severe cases, benzene will cause nausea and even death due to heart and respiratory system failure. For cases of sudden blurry vision, an ophthalmologist will provide maximum therapy in the form of high-dose drug injections. The therapy given aims to reduce swelling of the optic nerve due to methanol or alcohol intoxication.
Individual responses vary from therapy given; if it is not too late, sometimes visual acuity can improve, but if there has been total tissue damage, it will be difficult to return to normal so that blindness occurs. We cannot predict the occurrence of death. However, alcohol that has been mixed with methanol is very dangerous when consumed.
Consumption of 70% alcohol that has been mixed with methanol can cause blindness and paralysis. In severe cases, it can cause cardiac arrest and death, and the cases are quite common in our society. Of course, many types of cancer are also triggered by alcohol consumption.
- Alcohol consumption can trigger cancer in several areas of the body, including the mouth, esophagus, throat, larynx (part of the respiratory system), and liver.
- In the human body, alcohol will activate several types of enzymes that trigger the development of cancer cells.
- Alcohol will also damage the DNA in the body so that some parts of the cells will grow and multiply uncontrollably.
Given the dangers that can cause everything from blindness to death, it is appropriate for all of us to stay away from alcohol and start living a healthy life without it. : Alcohol Addiction Increases the Risk of Blindness
How does vodka make you blind?
Doctors say ‘Vodka Eyeballing’ drinking game could cause blindness 
CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC/WMC-TV) – A drinking game is gaining popularity and there are a number of videos on YouTube to prove it.”Vodka Eyeballing” involves taking a shot of vodka in the eye. The online videos feature men and women, often in party scenes, participating in the disturbing practice.
“It’s very alarming because, one, we have kids that are going to be that age soon and how are you supposed to let them go out with their friends if that’s the type stuff they’re doing,” said Crystal Lemacks, a mother who was shocked by the trend. Most in the medical community agree those who participate in “Vodka Eyeballing” are under the misguided impression it will help the alcohol reach their bloodstream faster.
“There’s some debate whether or not they’re doing this because they can feel the effects of alcohol quicker, and I don’t think there’s anything that’s going to substantiate that,” said optometrist Dr. Patrick Smith.The long-term effects of repeatedly participating in “Vodka Eyeballing” can take a permanent toll on vision.
Does 100% alcohol make you blind?
Bonus: Can you cure yourself by drinking even more? – 
For the sake of your optic nerve, beware what you drink Eyecandy Images/Thinkstock. A New Zealand man recently went blind after drinking lots of vodka while on diabetes medication. Thankfully, doctors were able to restore his sight by administering him Johnnie Walker Black Label whiskey.
- Can you really drink yourself blind? If you’re drinking moonshine, yes.
- Although alcohol that’s properly manufactured and regulated does not by itself cause blindness, people sometimes do go blind from drinking bootleg beverages.
- One common concern with moonshine is lead poisoning, which has been linked to blindness,
Since moonshine is unregulated, it has sometimes been manufactured using lead pipes, lead soldering, or even car radiators, which can contain high levels of lead. A 2003 study found that more than half of moonshine drinkers have enough lead in their bloodstream to exceed what the CDC calls a ” level of concern,” However, most manufacturers of moonshine these days are aware of this danger and will avoid using lead in their distilling process.
- Today the most common cause of blindness from drinking is methanol.
- Methanol, otherwise known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, can damage the optic nerve and even kill you in high concentrations.
- During Prohibition, bootleggers were known to sell moonshine that contained methanol, and the practice continues abroad.
Some bootleggers add methanol in order to increase the hooch’s potency or to mask when it’s been watered down. (Methanol has a strong taste and smell, though with modern manufacturing methods it’s not always as noticeable as it was before the 20 th century.) Some people will drink products that contain methanol—including antifreeze, paint thinner, and other denatured alcohol products—in pursuit of a cheap buzz.
As little as 4 milliliters of methanol has been known to cause blindness, and as little as 30 to 60 milliliters has been reported to kill drinkers, A more common lethal dose would be 70 to 100 milliliters. A 1922 report by the National Committee for the Prevention of Blindness documented that during the first half of that year, wood alcohol caused 130 deaths and 22 cases of blindness, though the group warned that there must have been many more cases that were hidden from authorities.
Methanol continues to cause occasional outbreaks of blindness among moonshine-drinkers abroad. In 1989, the New York Times reported that 125 people died in India after drinking moonshine. Many victims complained of blindness among other symptoms after drinking the illegal booze but avoided going to the hospital for fear of being arrested.
In 2011, several Russian tour guides were killed after consuming bootleg alcohol on a trip through Turkey, and police reportedly found methanol in the whiskey sold on the yacht. In September, the Czech government became concerned with bootleg liquor after cheap methanol-tainted spirits left 20 people dead and at least one man blind,
The phrase blind drunk doesn’t derive from either methanol- or lead-related blindness. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the phrase has been used for more than 350 years to refer to the more figurative meaning of being “so intoxicated as to see no better than a blind man.” (The Spanish ciego, for blind, can also be used to mean “very drunk.”) Similar phrases, including blind-weary and blind-hearted, have been used in English for about a millennium.
- Bonus Explainer: If you drink yourself blind, can you really be cured by drinking whiskey? Yes.
- Methanol poisoning occurs when your body metabolizes dangerous quantities of methanol, resulting in too much acid in the blood.
- This acid can then damage or kill cells in the optic nerve.
- However, the body prefers ethanol (regular drinking alcohol) to methanol, so drinking whiskey or other unadulterated liquor can help prevent the body from metabolizing more methanol.
No one who suffers from methanol poisoning should self-medicate with whiskey. If you suspect you’ve consumed methanol, you should call poison control immediately. But if you go to the hospital, don’t be surprised if the doctor tries to cure you with a few shots of the hard stuff.
Health Medicine
What is the fake drunk effect?
Just thinking that you’re drinking can get you buzzed – If someone hands you a drink that looks, smells, and tastes alcoholic, chances are you’ll feel its intoxicating effects—even if it contains no alcohol at all. That’s the placebo effect, according to a classic review of studies in the journal Addictive Behaviors,
What’s more, those intoxicating effects are in line with your beliefs about what alcohol does to you. If you think alcohol will make you more relaxed and social, that faux-alcoholic drink will make you more relaxed and social. If you expect booze to make you more flirtatious and sexy, you’ll become more receptive to and aware of potential romantic interests.
What if someone gives you an alcoholic drink and tells you it might be nonalcoholic? Chances are you’ll report less of a “high” and behave more soberly than you would if you hadn’t been led to believe it was a placebo. Your motor functions will still be impaired by the alcohol, however.
This means that even if you feel less drunk than you expected, you can still be unsafe to drive. Slurring and clumsy? The placebo effect How we know about the alcohol placebo effect Most people have heard about the placebo effect when it comes to medications. In studies, people who think they are taking a medicinal drug, but who are actually taking an inert substance (a “sugar pill”), report that it alleviates their symptoms of illness.
The placebo effect is just as powerful in our experience of recreational drugs. We’ve known this for decades. In the 1970s, researchers opened a specially designed “bar lab,” a drinking setting that allowed them to study the effects of alcohol, at the University of Seattle.
What does alcohol do to your vision?
Eyes and Alcohol: The Effects of Drinking You may have had the experience of having too much to drink one night, maybe at a party or celebration; things begin to get blurry as the alcohol affects your brain and vision. This usually goes away after a short time and is temporary, along with a hangover and headache.
But what about the long-term effects of drinking alcohol on the eye? Florida Eye Specialists and Cataract Institute would like you to gain some knowledge about eyes and alcohol and whether excessive drinking can lead to eye problems. Tolerance Everyone has a different tolerance for alcohol; you may be different from someone else who drinks the same amount.
It has been suggested that men drink no more than 4 units per day and women drink no more than 3 units per day. According to Medical Daily, drinking in moderation should not cause any long-term problems to eyesight. What Alcohol Does But excessive consumption of alcohol can encourage eye problems.
Heavy drinking over a period of time can lead to: ● Rapid eye movement ● Involuntary back and forth eye movement ● Permanent loss of vision and blindness Alcohol has a direct effect on the brain. Slurred speech is one result of this neurological effect. Trouble walking is another way that the problem shows up.
As far as the eyes are concerned, alcohol weakens the muscles of your eye; it can damage the optic nerves permanently, preventing the interaction of the brain and eyes. Some Problems From Heavy Drinking Double and distorted vision can occur from information that is slowed down between the eye and the brain.
Decreasing the reaction time for the pupils to dilate, alcohol can impair the ability to see different color shades or adjust to lighting differences. Swelling of the blood vessels in the eye or the look of red bloodshot eyes is a common feature of those who have been lifetime drinkers. Another problem that excessive drinking leads to is migraine headaches, as the eye becomes sensitive to light; the result is pain.
Long-term abuse of alcohol can also lead to toxic amblyopia or vision loss. Both short-term and long-term use of alcohol affects the optic nerve and the relationship between the brain and the eye. Moderation When enjoyed in moderation, alcohol will not damage your eyesight on a permanent basis.
There should be no long-term problems; short-term problems, however, such as blurred vision or headaches are common from overindulgence. Now that you know what the effects of over-indulgence of alcohol and long-term excessive drinking, you will be aware of how it can affect the eye and eyesight. This is in addition to the problems arising with other organs and the health of the whole body from excessive or long-term alcohol abuse.
You might be wise in limiting your consumption of alcohol to special occasions, dinners, and celebrations. In the case of damage to the eye from alcohol abuse, it is best to be wise in preventing it. If you are experiencing any eye problems or vision that is blurred or fuzzy, it might be time to make an appointment at Florida Eye Specialists and Cataract Institute to have a,
- It is important to determine the cause of any vision changes; your eye doctor can treat them or send you to a specialist for further diagnosis or treatment.
- We think of our patients as family and have been leaders in eye care since 1981.
- Our modern advanced technology and friendly and supportive staff have led to our being one of the premier eye care and centers for surgery on the western coast of Florida.
At Florida Eye Specialists and Cataract Institute, we are proud to deliver personal service that has ensured the satisfaction of our patients. For more information or to, call Florida Eye Specialists and Cataract Institute at 813-681-1122. Please note: Not all people are the same, and advice and tips should not replace in-person medical attention.
What happens to your vision when you drink alcohol?
Whether you consider yourself a “social drinker” or have struggled with alcohol misuse or addiction, consuming any amount of alcohol consistently over time can have negative physical and psychological consequences. Among its short-term effects are blurred vision and double vision, which can be temporary effects of intoxication, although they typically wear off as the person sobers up or the next day.
