The “red-eye syndrome” is a common side effect of cannabis use. The sclera, or white of the eye, turns red after cannabis use, making it simple to identify the user. Fortunately for you, it’s perfectly safe and has no effect on you other than to make it more obvious to others that you smoke.
Are you interested in learning how to get rid of weed eyes? This article included a few explanations on why this occurs as well as solutions.
Why does weed make your eyes red?
Let’s start off by busting a myth: The smoke you or your smoking pals are inhaling has nothing to do with your eyes going red. In fact, have you ever noticed that consuming edibles like pot brownies or other treats will also make your eyes red? THC is to blame.
No matter how they ingest cannabis—smoking the flower, vaping concentrates, eating an edible, etc.—people often notice an increase in heart rate and blood pressure 10 to 15 minutes after doing so. This rise occurs while engaging in physical activities like exercising and is entirely normal.
This game of rising and falling will be driven by THC in the body. Blood pressure gradually falls as a result of a moderate hypotensive impact when heart rate and blood pressure both rise. Naturally, the capillaries and blood vessels will enlarge, increasing the amount of blood flowing to the eyes. Eye redness results from this increase in blood flow, which also lowers intraocular pressure, often known as IOP.
The previously described procedure is actually excellent news for glaucoma patients, a set of eye conditions that harm the optic nerves and can eventually result in blindness (Weed Maps, 2021.) Patients with glaucoma seek the benefit of lowering ocular pressure to cure and relieve symptoms; nevertheless, studies are currently being conducted due to conflicting outcomes.
It’s true that cannabis does not always result in red eyes; according to Weed Maps, the amount of THC you take determines how your blood pressure changes and, consequently, how red your eyes get. Simply simply, the stronger the intoxicating effects and the redder your eyes become, the higher the THC concentration is.
Furthermore, the quality of your cannabis does not increase with the intensity of your eye-redness. Actually, it’s more along the lines of “your eyes will become more red the more THC concentration your cannabis contains.” In other words, the potency of the cannabis strain can also be determined by the presence of bloodshot eyes.
Why “red-eye syndrome” does not affect everyone?
If you and others around you regularly use cannabis, you’ve undoubtedly already seen that different people react differently to the same strain. These varying outcomes result from a number of crucial factors, including heredity, sex, general health, and frequency of use (increased frequency causes cannabinoid tolerance). The eyes may have caught your attention in the same way. Some persons experience fairly severe thrombocytopenia, however for others the change is hardly noticeable or nonexistent.
The person’s blood pressure has a direct impact on the redness. For instance, THC won’t be able to lower your blood pressure enough if you have high blood pressure for your eyes to get really, really red. My blood pressure is rather low, so when I consume a potent THC strain, I literally look like the Terminator. I actually have the exact opposite problem.
When the session comprises numerous joints or blunts, in addition to the redness, I may also feel faint and experience leg weakness. This, of course, results from a complicated interaction of the factors I previously described, such as age, sex, health, heredity, etc., and is not only caused by low blood pressure.
As many people are extremely sensitive to smoke in general, allergies can also contribute to the overall “bloodshot volume.” Cannabis allergy is another cause of increased redness, but for users who suffer from this unpleasant condition, red eyes are the least of their worries.
How Long Will Weed Redden My Eyes?
The duration of red eyes following cannabis consumption is typically between one and two hours; however, this depends on the amount of THC consumed, how your system processes it, your body chemistry, and the cannabis strain. Red eyes can linger up to four hours for some people.
What Long-Term Effects Does Weed Have On The Eyes?
THC might cause more damage to your eyes than just a slight redness. Previous research has suggested that marijuana may be able to worsen color vision. Additionally, it may have an impact on your glare-recovery time, photosensitivity, dynamic visual acuity, and capacity to adjust to darkness.
Cannabis use can impact your visual processing and result in delays in addition to its effects on your eyes. Additionally, the synaptic link between your retinal ganglion cells and the brain may become dysfunctional.
Although there is no chance of going blind, the potential effects on your vision need at least some thought when deciding whether to use cannabis.
Which other drugs can result in weed eyes?
Other drugs besides marijuana can harm your eyes. These drugs consist of:
- Benzodiazepines (e.g. Xanax, Ativan)
- Crystal methamphetamine (meth)
- Oxycodone (OxyContin)
- Hydrocodone (Vicodin)
- Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)
- Amphetamines
- Fentanyl
- Codeine
- Cocaine
- Ecstasy
- Methadone
- Morphine
- Psilocybin
- Bath salts
- Heroin
- LSD
- GHB
Read: how to eliminate a lie bump?
How to get rid of weed eyes?
The most popular solution of how to get rid of weed eyes is to use over-the-counter eye drops made to treat allergies. Tetryzoline, an alpha agonist that constricts dilated blood vessels, is an ingredient in these. As was already established, THC causes the redness by expanding blood vessels and capillaries. Eye drops can immediately reduce red eyes and reverse this look, restoring your eyes’ natural whiteness. It is advised that you read the handbook carefully to gain a thorough understanding of how to use them so that you may safely get rid of bloodshot eyes.
There are other methods that can help constrict the blood vessels to reduce redness in addition to this, which is typically the best and fastest way to get rid of red eyes. This involves consuming more sodium, coffee, or chocolate.
However, a common myth is that increasing your water intake may help you lessen eye redness. Sadly, this is completely incorrect. Any quantity of water intake will not help you to solve “how to get rid of weed eyes” because red eyes are not a sign of dehydration.
Avoid Red Eyes After Weed Use!
It is commonly known that the cannabis impact is a satisfying blend of amazing smell, superb flavor, and a combination of euphoria and comfortable relaxation. Bloodshot “stoned eyes,” on the other hand, are one physical side effect that frequently causes social anxiety.
You’re familiar with how things work. You’ve finished your work for the day, it’s time to relax, and you’ve just smoked your first joint when something forces you to leave the shelter of your home and into a setting populated by people who are not high. You glance in the mirror just before leaving, and… Oh my god! You appear to have spent the night out with Dracula and the Twilight posse because of how RED your eyes are. What can be done?
Marijuana’s additional negative effects
There are many different physical and mental effects that marijuana has. Additional negative effects include:
- impaired body mobility
- Mood changes
- thinking and problem-solving challenges
- Changed perception of time
- reduced memory
- higher heart rate
- Vomiting
- altered senses, including seeing colors that are more vivid
- breath problems
- Delusions (when given in excessive amounts) (when taken in high doses)
- Nausea
- Hallucinations (when given in excessive amounts) (when taken in high doses)
- Psychosis (risk is greater with persistent use of high-potency cannabis) (risk is highest with consistent use of high-potency cannabis)
- kid development issues during and after pregnancy
Final word
Red eyes can be one symptom of cannabis use in any form that you can almost always anticipate. Now you know how to get rid of lie bump, even though the side effect is frequent, it is not something to worry about, and occasionally a low-THC strain may involve less redness.