What takes away red eyes when your high?

When smoking cannabis, you’ve probably encountered the “red-eye syndrome”. It’s easy to tell when someone has been smoking cannabis because the white of the eye (sclera) turns red. Luckily for you, it’s completely harmless and doesn’t affect you in any way, other than being a quicker indicator to others that you smoke.

Want to find out how to help alleviate red eyes? We have gathered a few reasons why this happens and how you can get rid of it.

Why do your eyes turn red?

To start, many people assume that red eyes are caused by the smoke exhaled after smoking flower or a vape, but this is actually untrue. Although smoking obviously produces a lot of smoke that could get in your eyes, that’s not actually the reason for your red eyes. No matter how you take in cannabis, your eyes will still turn red.

The reason is actually that of the THC inside of cannabis. This is the compound that gives you the euphoric feeling you’ve come to expect when smoking, and one of the effects it has is decreasing your blood pressure. This ultimately leads to the expansion of our blood vessels to allow more blood to flow around our body. In the case of eyes, it means that our ocular capillaries are dilated so that they can take in more blood. These expanded blood vessels make the white of the eye appear red, hence the effect.

However, THC also reduces the intraocular pressure of the eye. Increased intraocular pressure is a key factor when it comes to glaucoma diseases. Lowering the intraocular pressure is actually the way we battle against glaucoma. If left untreated, it could lead to a severe loss of vision and also blindness. This is why THC strains can actually help to lower intraocular pressure anywhere between 25 to 30%.

The amount your eyes “turn” red will vary from person to person. If you smoke the same strain with someone else, you might notice that their eyes stay relatively white while yours can go extremely red, or vice versa. A number of factors can affect this, such as your genetics, sex, health and also how often you smoke. The redness is completely dependant on your blood pressure and it can last varying different timeframes as well.

Getting rid of red eyes

The most common way to get rid of bloodshot eyes after smoking is to use over-the-counter eye drops that are designed to overcome allergies. These contain tetryzoline which is an alpha agonist that causes dilated blood vessels to constrict. As previously mentioned, THC makes blood vessels and capillaries dilate, thus causing the redness. Eye drops can reverse this effect, returning your eyes to their normal whiteness and helping to relieve red eyes very quickly. This is a safe method to get rid of bloodshot eyes and it’s recommended that you read through the manual in order to get a good understanding of how to use them properly.

This is generally the best and fastest way to get rid of red eyes, but there are also other alternatives that can help constrict the blood vessels to reduce redness. This includes consuming chocolate, more sodium or even caffeine.

However, a misconception that you might hear is drinking more water to help you reduce redness in the eyes. This is sadly entirely false. Red eyes are not a sign of dehydration so no amount of water intake will help you get rid of bloodshot eyes.

Summary

The redness in your eyes isn’t anything serious, so you shouldn’t be alarmed. There’s nothing to be worried about and you’re generally not going to suffer any negative effects if do you have red eyes, but it can be worrying if you’re expected to attend a meeting or a work-related event.

So in short, get yourself some eye drops! They’re the fastest and easiest way to get rid of bloodshot eyes, and you’ll typically find them at the nearest pharmacy or convenience store!

Ever googled “why are my eyes red after smoking weed” or “can smoking weed damage your eyes” and Google is immediately like “yeah, you’re probably going to lose your eyesight”? 

I’m exaggerating here, but one has to admit that sometimes google searches are more panic induced searches when we don’t know how to research or where to look at true information.

Before we dive any further on why weed gives consumers red, bloodshot eyes let me reassure you that you are not in danger. Getting red eyes from weed is actually a very common side effect of consuming cannabis, so let’s explore the reason behind it and learn how you can manage it.

Why Does Weed Make My Eyes Red?

First and foremost, let's start off by debunking a myth: Your eyes turning red have nothing to do with the smoke you or your smoking buddies are exhaling. In fact, ever noticed that eating a pot brownie or other edibles will also cause your eyes to become red? The culprit is THC.

According to Weed Maps, 10 to 15 minutes after people consume cannabis they generally experience an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, whether it’s smoking the flower, vaping concentrates, eating an edible, etc. This increase is completely normal and it also happens while doing physical activities such as exercising.

THC in the body will lead this game of rising and lowering. When heart rate and blood pressure increase, the latter will eventually lower in a modest hypotensive effect, meaning a decrease in blood pressure. Naturally, the blood vessels and capillaries will dilate, which in turn causes an increase in blood flow to the eyes. This increase in blood flow creates eye redness, while also reducing pressure in the eye, a process called intraocular pressure or IOP.

The previously explained process is actually very good news to patients with glaucoma – a group of eye disorders that cause damage to the optic nerves which can eventually lead to blindness (Weed Maps, 2021.) Decreasing eye pressure is the benefit that glaucoma patients seek to treat and relieve symptoms; however, studies are still being carried out due to contradictory results. 

It’s true that cannabis won’t always cause eye redness, Weed Maps mentions that the rise and fall of blood pressure –and in consequence, how red your eyes become– depends on the amount of THC you consume. Simply put it like this: the greater the THC concentration is, the stronger the intoxicating effects, causing the redder your eyes become. 

Additionally, it’s not that the more red your eyes get, the better your weed is. It’s actually more along the lines of “the more THC concentration your weed has, the redder your eyes will get”. In other words, bloodshot eyes can also be an indicator of how potent the cannabis strain is. 

How Long Will My Eyes Stay Red After Consuming Weed?

According to Leafwell, the red eyes after a cannabis ingestion will typically last from 1 to 2 hours; however, it all depends on how much THC has been consumed and how your system processes it, as well as each person’s body chemistry and the difference between cannabis strains. For some people, red eyes could last up to four hours. 

How Do I Get Rid Of Cannabis Red Eyes?

Check out these different tips you can use.

Use over-the-counter eye drops, also known as OTC. These are designed for treating allergic reactions, as well as the most commonly used method to treat red eyes caused by cannabis.

There’s nothing like drinking water to help restore the dryness in your body.

I know this may sound contradictory against staying hydrated, but it turns out that caffeine carries out this little process called vasoconstriction. Similar to OTC, caffeine helps reduce blood flow in the eyes, eventually decreasing redness. Helpful beverages include coffee, tea, energy drinks and cola. 

Place a cold compress over your eyes or try splashing cold water on your face to reduce red eyes. Cold will cause the blood vessels to constrict and reduce blood flow in your eyes.

If you’re getting tired of getting red eyes every time you consume cannabis, try changing to a strain that has less THC than what you usually take. This will reduce the chances of getting red eyes.

Remember the effects can last from 1 to 3 hours, so plan your smoking sessions or edible consumptions accordingly if you don’t want anyone to notice your stoned eyes.

If none of these tips work on you or you’re not entirely convinced, you could just let this side effect run its course. Remember that you have no reason to be concerned about the redness of your eyes; other than giving away that fact that you consumed cannabis, you have nothing to worry about. 

Share your knowledge and good practices with us, what other remedies help you get rid of red eyes? 

Author: Mary Jane

Bone, M. (2021). Why does weed make your eyes red? Weed Maps. Retrieved from https://weedmaps.com/learn/cannabis-and-your-body/eyes-turn-red-smoke-weed

Hemraj, D. How Long Do Red Eyes Last From Weed? Leafwell. Retrieved from https://leafwell.com/blog/how-long-do-red-eyes-last-from-weed/

Lland, R. (2022). Why do smoking cannabis and eating edibles cause red, bloodshot eyes? Leafly. Retrieved from https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/why-does-smoking-weed-make-your-eyes-red

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