Having the whites of your eyes take on a yellow shade is a concerning symptom. Yellow eyes and liver damage are commonly linked because several liver conditions can cause a symptom called jaundice that results in the whites of your eyes turning yellow, as well as your skin.
What might be causing liver damage? One of the common causes of liver damage is heavy alcohol use. If you or a loved one has struggled with excessive drinking for some time, it’s common to wonder if yellowing eyes are being caused by alcohol-related liver damage.
Does alcohol make your eyes yellow? We’ll cover everything you should know about yellow eyes and alcoholism in the rest of this article to help you determine the problem and treatment options that can help.
What Yellow Eyes Mean (Jaundice Explained)
Jaundice consists of yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin. It often occurs due to liver damage or liver disease.
What happens in the body that causes jaundice? It’s important to understand one of the liver’s common functions, which is helping remove old red blood cells.
The red blood cells in your body have a natural lifespan of about 110 to 120 days. When they reach the end of that lifespan, they’re no longer functional, and the body breaks them down and removes them to clear the way for new cells to develop.
During the process of breaking down the old red blood cells, the body converts them into a chemical called bilirubin. That chemical goes to the liver and is changed into a form that can be easily removed from the body through bile.
However, when you have a severely damaged liver, it won’t be able to process the bilirubin. It ends up remaining in your bloodstream and eventually leaks out into the tissues, such as the skin and eyes, making affected tissues turn yellow.
That process is why jaundice is known as a clear physical side effect of liver damage. For example, cirrhosis and yellow eyes are often linked since cirrhosis causes severe damage or scarring on the liver. It’s a serious medical symptom that shows there’s significant damage to the body that must be treated.
The Link Between Alcohol and Yellow Eyes
Jaundice is one of the common signs of alcoholic liver disease or alcoholic hepatitis. Research from the University of Michigan found that up to 35% of heavy drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis or liver disease at some point, which can range from mild to severe.
The research also showed that one in four people who experience alcoholic hepatitis still return to drinking at some point. That’s why effective addiction treatment that helps achieve long-term sobriety and provides ongoing support is so important.
Why Does Alcohol Cause Liver Damage?
Alcohol is known as a toxin to the body. Its toxic effects are why it makes you feel drunk. However, it also causes damage over time to the organs it interacts with.
The liver is one of the organs most involved since it breaks down alcohol to prepare it for removal from your system. That process produces a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde, which directly damages liver cells.
When someone consistently drinks heavily, the toxic effects of acetaldehyde will cause fat buildup, inflammation, scarring, and other damage in the liver that can lead to cirrhosis, hepatitis, and liver disease. Those conditions can cause jaundice, which is why jaundice from drinking often occurs.
Liver Conditions Caused by Alcohol
The most common liver conditions caused by alcohol are:
- Alcoholic hepatitis: A condition associated with inflammation of the liver. Common alcohol hepatitis symptoms include jaundice, fever, abdominal pain, and soreness of the liver. It can happen suddenly after heavy drinking or as a result of long-term alcohol-related liver damage.
- Fatty liver disease: This is an early stage of liver disease caused by fat buildup around the liver. Common alcohol liver disease signs are jaundice, swelling of the abdomen, and fatigue. The fatty liver disease stage is usually treatable, but requires proper medical care and quitting drinking.
- Cirrhosis: Associated with scarring or damage to the liver. It can result in symptoms such as jaundice, swelling, nausea, and severe weight loss. Damage from cirrhosis can become permanent and lead to long-term effects on someone’s health and well-being.
If someone has one of these conditions and keeps drinking, the problem and symptoms can keep getting worse and eventually become life-threatening. Therefore, seeking treatment as soon as possible is essential. We offer alcohol addiction treatment options at United Recovery Project that can help.
Other Symptoms That May Accompany Yellow Eyes
Other symptoms that can indicate liver damage or disease that you can experience alongside yellow eyes are:
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Swelling in the abdomen or legs
- Dark urine
- Pale stools
- Easy bruising or bleeding
When you notice these symptoms in yourself or a loved one, it’s important to seek medical attention as soon as possible, since it can be a sign of serious medical conditions.
Why Ignoring Yellow Eyes is Dangerous
Experiencing jaundice is often a sign that someone is progressing toward or has already reached a stage of serious, advanced liver disease. The American Liver Foundation stresses that untreated damage is serious and can become irreversible, resulting in liver failure, cancer, or death.
Fortunately, treating both liver health and alcohol addiction early can prevent those harsher outcomes from happening, so it’s important not to ignore yellow eyes or other symptoms.
Can You Reverse Yellow Eyes from Alcohol?
Yellow eyes from alcohol-related liver damage are reversible if the liver damage is in the early stages. Treating it will require completely stopping alcohol use and regularly monitoring liver health markers to ensure your body is recovering.
Treatment for Alcohol Addiction and Liver Health
Seeking help at a treatment center that can provide a medical detox for alcohol is a great place to start. A medical detox will provide you with 24/7 support so you remain safe, comfortable, and have a healthcare team that can monitor your liver every step of the way.
Medical support is essential during the process since complications can happen due to severe withdrawal symptoms and any pre-existing health conditions that you’re struggling with, so you’ll want doctors and nurses readily available in case you need anything.
Additionally, completing a full residential treatment program or outpatient treatment program after detox is a good idea to receive therapy, build skills to maintain sobriety, and make lifestyle changes that help improve overall health and well-being.
How United Recovery Project Can Help
United Recovery Project is a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center. Our knowledgeable treatment team can help design a rehab program tailored to your specific needs, including accounting for health conditions you’re struggling with, such as liver damage.
Each of our medical detox, inpatient, and outpatient treatment options uses evidence-based practices and well-rounded solutions to help clients achieve the best possible results.
If you or a loved one are experiencing yellow eyes or other signs of alcohol-related liver damage, you don’t have to go through it alone. Contact us today to learn more about how our treatment options at United Recovery Project can make a difference.
References
- Joseph, Abel, and Hrishikesh Samant. “Jaundice.” PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544252/
- University of Michigan Health. “Alcohol Related Liver Disease | Michigan Medicine.” https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/digestive-and-liver-health/alcohol-related-liver-disease
- Setshedi, Mashiko, et al. “Acetaldehyde Adducts in Alcoholic Liver Disease.” Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, vol. 3, no. 3, 2010, pp. 178–185, doi:10.4161/oxim.3.3.3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2952076/
- American Liver Foundation. “How Liver Diseases Progress.” American Liver Foundation, 7 Jan. 2025, https://liverfoundation.org/about-your-liver/how-liver-diseases-progress/
