Vodka Eyeballing

What is vodka eyeballing? It is a new fad of alcohol drinking has been taking place among young people. It supposedly started in Britain and is now gaining popularity in the US. The “eyeballers” pour vodka directly onto their eyes in the hope of obtaining quick high from the alcohol. They claim that “vodka eyeballing” induces drunkenness faster than drinking the vodka. The urban myth is that the alcohol passes easily through the mucous membrane and enters the bloodstream directly through veins at the back of the eye. This could not be more wrong. The volume of vodka absorbed by the conjunctiva and cornea is too small to have that effect.






The health effects of vodka eyeballing
Eyeball practitioners expose themselves at the risk of blindness and painful eye injuries. The cornea is the most sensitive organ of the body because it contains the most number of nociceptors or pain-sensitive receptors. Any irritation of the eye in this area can cause discomfort and eye pain.

Pouring vodka directly into the eyes risks damaging and possibly killing the surface epithelial cells. This can easily cause pain and infections.

More seriously, "eyeballing" can also lead to permanent vision damage by killing endothelial cells in deeper layers of the eye's cornea. This is unlikely, but possible. A quick look at the eye’s anatomy shows that the cornea is the clear outer part of the eye that focuses light and provides much of the optical power. Depending on the amount of alcohol and length of time it is in contact with the eye, epithelial cell loss could result in corneal ulcers or scarring, not to mention a great deal of pain. If your endothelial cells die off it is not certain that you can ever recover full vision.

There is also a remote possibility of thrombosis (blood clotting) at the optic nerve with the 40% of pure ethanol and the amount of alcohol intake. Thrombosis at the optic nerve can cause a stroke to the optic nerve, which will lead to permanent and complete blindness.

The human eye is a complex and fragile human organ. These vodka eyeballers are harming their eyesight for little or no high. It is physiologically impossible that the alcohol they are absorbing really has any difference. It is more likely that they are experiencing an endorphin rush due to the pain. It is a shame that people are abusing their eyesight for the sake of a vodka eyeballing fad.