Have you ever wondered how to get rid of red eyes after smoking weed? Unfortunately, most weed users end up with red eyes after enjoying their favourite products.
It doesn’t matter if you smoked a joint or used a pipe to get your fill. Bloodshot eyes from smoking, commonly known as weed eyes, can bring unnecessary attention your way. It is therefore advisable to find a solution.
Most people and experts recommend using eye drops from the pharmacy. Get those meant for allergies since they work perfectly for the weed eye. These allergy meds work because they have tetryzoline, an alpha agonist triggering constriction of dilated blood vessels and minimizing the redness.
What Are Bloodshot Eyes?
Even as we struggle to find ways to get rid of bloodshot eyes, it is more important first to establish and know what bloodshot eyes mean. What exactly is the weed eye, and what do people mean when they refer to it as this?
Simply put, bloodshot eyes refer to redness, often caused by inflammation or irritation of the blood vessels in the eye’s white surface. Usually, this kind of redness is not caused by an infection, although illness and infection cannot be ruled out.
Some of the triggers of irritation include but are not limited to:
- Allergies – Some people are allergic to dust, pollen, and other environmental factors that affect their eyes and cause reddening.
- Blepharitis which is an inflamed eyelid
- Conjunctivitis is an eye infection commonly known as the pink eye
- Dry eye
- Eye injury – There are different ways your eyes could get injured, including being hit
- Glaucoma – is an optic nerve infection often caused by high eye pressure and often linked to aging.
In most cases, eye redness is nothing to be alarmed about. Many go away on their own. However, you may need medical assistance if the redness persists or you feel pain.
Why Does Cannabis Make Your Eyes Red?
Now that we understand what eye redness or bloodshot eyes are, the big question remains, why does weed make your eyes red? Weed smokers are most likely to have the eye weed effect regardless of how much weed they consume.
But why does weed make your eyes red? This redness results from weed’s effects on the eye’s blood vessels. You should know that weed contains cannabinoids, which in turn are known to bind themselves to the cannabinoid receptors.
This binding process to the receptors leads to widening/ dilating users’ eye blood vessels. As such, the flow of blood to the area increases. Unfortunately, there is a reduction in blood pressure.
This explains why most smokers feel dizzy and have bloodshot eyes after smoking weed. The increased blood flow to the eyes manifests as bloodshot eyes, while the reduction in overall body pressure causes dizziness. It is, therefore, advisable for weed smokers to stay put after consuming their favourite stash to avoid falling unnecessarily.
Since it is clear how to make your eyes red from smoking weed, you must take care of it as soon as possible. This redness should not last too long. It usually goes away after 3 hours, even without intervention.
However, you can hasten the relief by getting over-the-counter tear drops or doing cold compresses. If all forms of intervention do not offer any red-eye weed relief, then it is advisable to consult an eye specialist for more analysis.
How to Get Rid of Red Eyes From Marijuana?
The phenomenon of weed red eyes is widespread among weed smokers. Since the red eyes weed, the aftermath is inevitable, and finding practical preventive and reversal solutions is better. Below are a few practical ways to contain this situation.
Use Artificial Tears (Over the Counter)
A few over-the-counter tear drops or artificial tear medications can help you cope with the red eyes from weed. These also work for all other red-eye issues.
Natural smoke from wildfires can also cause bloodshot eyes, so you need to have artificial tears near if you are susceptible. They are practical and work to prevent and contain redness.
Cool the Eyes Down
The redness can also be reduced if you find a way to cool the eyes. This may mean putting the artificial tears in the fridge for a while before using them. Alternatively, consider cold compresses on the eye as you lay down on your bed.
Such simple tricks can help reduce the redness in your eyes.
Stay Indoors
Whenever you are struggling with the red eye issue, make sure to stay indoors. Keep in mind that any further irritation can worsen the situation. Try to have your windows and doors closed, especially if there is a lot of dust and smoke from the outdoors, at least until your eyes recover.
Wear Glasses or Goggles
This should be a remedy if you insist on going outdoors with red eyes. You should consider it if you experience sensitivity due to the smoke or if you have dry eyes and cannot give up weed. These glasses should be tight-fitting to act as a barrier against the smoke.
Work on Improving Air Quality in Your House
Besides the factors that are almost impossible to control, there is something you can do about your indoor air quality. Invest in an air purifying system that cleans your house’s air and removes all potential irritants.
It is best if you can quit weed smoking for a while, especially if the irritation from the smoke is too much. If all the tricks mentioned above fail to clear the redness in your eye, consider going to the doctor and having your eyes checked.
An ophthalmologist can examine the eyes to know if an infection could trigger the redness in the eyes. There could be other reasons for the discomfort. After the medical examination, stronger prescriptions and medication may be necessary to deal with the inflammation and irritation beyond the temporary redness.
Learn more about marijuana-related topics at WeedSmart. Order online or get same-day weed delivery services today!
References
NIH (2022) At a glance: Glaucoma From: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma
Highest Farmacy. (2023, March 5). Get Timely and Reliable Same-Day Weed Delivery in Toronto and Surrounding Cities. Available at: https://www.highestfarmacy.com/
Ellie Swain (2022) Stoned Eyes (Causes, Symptoms & How to Fix) From: https://www.addictiongroup.org/blog/stoned-eyes/
Daily Edibles Delivery. (2023, March 5). Enjoy the Best Deals On Same-Day Weed Delivery in Vancouver. Available at: https://dailyedibles.io/
Andrew D Pucker (2016) Over-the-counter (OTC) artificial tear drops for dry eye syndrome. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5045033/
