The Early Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Functional Visual Acuity, Tear Functions, and the Ocular Surface

Purpose: We investigated the early effects of alcohol intake on tear functions and ocular surface health in this prospective controlled study. Methods: Forty-four eyes of 22 subjects (17 males, 5 females; mean age: 35.3 years) who drank 200 mL of 25% Japanese vodka and 44 eyes of age- and sex-matched 22 control subjects who drank water were investigated. Subjects were requested to refrain from alcohol consumption from the previous day and food ingestion 6 hr before the study. Each subject consumed exactly the same order prepared dinner and same quantity of alcohol over the same time frame. Subjects underwent breath alcohol level, tear evaporation and blink rate, tear lipid layer interferometry, tear film break-up time (BUT), fluorescein and Rose Bengal stainings, Schirmer test, and visual analog scale (VAS) evaluation of dry eye symptoms before, as well as 2 and 12 hr after alcohol intake. Results: The mean breath alcohol level was significantly higher in the alcohol group compared to the water group at 2 and 12 hr (P
Source: Eye and Contact Lens: Science and Clinical Practice - Category: Opthalmology Tags: Article Source Type: research