Why a person’s pupils dilate - the main reasons

Large (wide) pupils - causes and treatment

In a healthy state, the pupils change in size depending on the lighting: in bright light they narrow to protect the eyes from excess light, and in the dark they dilate so that even in dim lighting they allow as many rays of light as possible into the eye.
At the same time, the pupils dilate and contract synchronously: they remain the same size in comparison with each other.

But it happens that pupil dilation occurs regardless of lighting. Most often this is a sign of pathology, and not always related to the eyes.

Medicines

As Devin McKay, director of the department of neuro-ophthalmology at Indiana University School of Medicine, notes in an interview with Insider, some drugs affect the signals generated by the brain. Thus, the pupils sometimes dilate or contract on their own.

Antihistamines like Claritin or Benadryl affect this; motion sickness medications containing scopolamine; stimulant medications, such as Adderall; tricyclic antidepressants; anti-seizure medications; Botox.

Before taking these medications, the doctor usually checks with the person to see if he or she has eye problems: for example, scopolamine should not be used by people with glaucoma - the drug can increase the risk of blindness.

Treatment of dilated pupils

There is no specific recipe for getting rid of this symptom: it all depends on the reasons that caused this condition. We recommend that you first contact an ophthalmologist, and then, if necessary, the doctor will recommend that you visit a related specialist.

Remember to get regular eye exams. Consistent visits to an ophthalmologist reduce the risk of developing serious eye pathologies. The earlier a problem is detected, the easier it is to solve it. Come to the Eye Clinic of Dr. Belikova, we are always happy to help you

Diagnostics

To make a diagnosis, the specialist must obtain as complete an anamnesis as possible. He will find out what events happened before this, ask about the patient’s lifestyle, past illnesses, and how long mydriasis has been observed.

Sometimes an examination by several doctors is required: a neurologist, an ophthalmologist, a neurosurgeon. In addition, a blood test and magnetic resonance imaging are required, which will determine whether there are tumors inside the head. Only a thorough medical history will help a specialist establish the true cause of pathological mydriasis.

How drug addicts disguise their gaze. Forums

Abnormal pupil reaction is the most well-known and visible sign of drug addiction, so addicts learn to hide it. For example, in Internet search engines there are many queries about how to constrict your pupils after speed or a hair dryer - slang names for Amphetamine.

Search queries in Yandex

Often such questions can be found on forums: drug addicts discuss methods of masking in thematic groups, or ask for help on medical portals. At the same time, a wide variety of reasons for interest are invented.

Let's look at the most effective and discussed ways to hide the reaction of the eyes to a drug:

• Medicines.
• Folk remedies.
• Gymnastics for the eyes.

Eye drops are especially popular among drug addicts, because they help narrow or dilate the pupils quickly and without extra effort.

Drops for constricting pupils

Drops are used for narrowing:

• Pilocarpine. Side effects: pain in the temples, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea.
• Physostigmine. May cause dizziness and convulsions, increased saliva production and sweating.
• Carbachol. Analogs - Carcholine or Glaucomil. May cause nausea, fever and rapid heartbeat.

For extension:

• Irifrin, Phenylephrine. They directly affect the dilator muscle, contracting it.
• Cyclomed, Tropicamide. Reduce the intensity of the sphincter.

Important! If your relative or friend began using eye drops for no apparent reason, in combination with other signs this should alert you.

If a drug addict cannot buy special drops, folk remedies are used. Most of them are designed to constrict the pupils:

• Coffee . Drink several cups of strong drink.
• Compresses . One piece of fabric is dipped in hot water, the other in cold water. Such contrasting lotions are placed on the eyes, held for 10-20 seconds and swapped.
• Decoctions . Blueberries or raspberry leaves are brewed with boiled water, and the decoction is taken twice a day. This method is used by lovers of psychostimulants, because the narcotic effect from them lasts for several days.

Special gymnastics also helps to narrow or dilate the pupils at home and relieve spasm of the optic nerve. Popular exercises:

• First look at an object in the distance, then sharply shift focus to a near object.
• Move your eyes from side to side.
• Follow the trajectory of the clockwise movement, and after a full circle, repeat the trajectory with your eyes in the opposite direction.

All exercises are performed 10-15 times.

Important! Drug addicts may perform visual exercises under the pretext of taking care of their vision. Therefore, eye gymnastics should alert you if a relative shows other signs of addiction.

Predisposition

Some people live with benign episodic unilateral mydriasis, a condition in which the pupil of one eye dilates on its own. According to Devin McKay, it can stay this way for a couple of minutes, hours, even days, before returning to its normal size.

The causes of DEOM are not known for certain; however, it is clear that the condition often affects young women prone to migraines. Benign mydriasis itself is harmless, but sometimes it can cause problems when choosing glasses or contact lenses.

Attraction

Liking a particular person stimulates the nervous system, after which the body releases dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin.
The release of hormones affects the size of the pupils. Employees of the Healthline service, by the way, note that such a mechanism was justified by the biological need for reproduction. There is an assumption that a woman’s dilated pupils signal her desire to conceive a child from a certain partner. Men primarily reacted to women with “very black” eyes, understanding that such companions were interested in them - in this case, they could pass on their genes.

How else does a drug addict reveal himself?

If you notice an abnormal reaction of the pupils and reddened eyes in a person, you should carefully observe his behavior and appearance.

Physiological signs of drug addiction:

• Sudden weight loss.
• Skin problems: rashes, dryness, sallow or greenish tint.
• Brittle dry hair, crumbling and rotting teeth.
• Sleep disorders – insomnia or drowsiness.
• Impaired coordination of movements.
• Speech impairment: pronunciation has changed, tongue becomes slurred.
• Chronic cough and runny nose are a characteristic symptom when using smoking mixtures, cannabis and cocaine.
• Injection marks, ulcers and ulcers are a sign of injections with opium drugs.

Behavioral symptoms:

• Nervousness. The person has become hot-tempered and behaves aggressively.
• Mood swings. Sadness and alienation are abruptly replaced by an excited state and hysterical laughter.
• Stealth. The person has become withdrawn and avoids talking about himself, he has new friends unknown to you.
• Lie. An addict lies and dodges, especially when it comes to his health, financial condition or places of leisure.
• Indifference to appearance. The person stopped taking care of his clothes, appearance and personal hygiene.

And the most obvious sign of addiction is specific attributes:

• Smoking devices . Tubes, glass flasks, yellowed plastic bottles with burnt holes.
• Medicines and pharmaceutical devices . Painkillers and sedatives, eye drops, tablets and ampoules of unknown purpose, syringes.
• Drugs . Dried herb, bags of unknown powders or plant contents, LSD brands.

Drugs

Constant and long-term use of psychoactive substances prohibited by law for recreation - recreation - also affects the dilation or constriction of the pupils.
For example, cocaine and crack cocaine increase levels of endorphins and adrenaline, which stimulate the nerves that control the eyes. MDMA, or “Ecstasy,” affects the levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, which later leads to disruption of the entire nervous system. Hallucinogens like LSD or psilocybin work the same way. By the way, even after quitting narcotic substances, the pupils will react inadequately to light - this will continue until the symptoms signaling withdrawal syndrome subside.

Mydriasis with preserved reaction of both pupils to light

If the hole in the iris is enlarged in size over a long period of time and narrows when light hits it, we can talk about the development (or presence) of the following diseases.

Preeclampsia in pregnancy

It appears most often in the second trimester as a result of changes in the hormonal system of a pregnant woman. Not everyone experiences pregnancy the same way, some don’t even notice how nine months pass, for others it becomes a real test. They experience surges in blood pressure, swelling, and vision problems.

If preeclampsia reaches a severe stage, then the pupils are constantly dilated. This is a dangerous sign, since the disease can develop into eclampsia, which poses a threat to the health of the expectant mother and her baby. The pathology is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Migraine;
• Foggy consciousness;
• Problems with urination;
• Lack of oxygen.

Any of the signs is a reason for emergency hospitalization. Transportation is carried out only by ambulance, since on the way the woman may stop breathing or begin to have convulsions.

Particularly careful monitoring of your condition and tracking any negative manifestations in the body is necessary for such categories of pregnant women as:

• Carrying twins or triplets;
• Hereditary predisposition;
• Women in labor over forty years of age;
• More than ten years passed between births;
• If a woman is overweight and has an IT of more than thirty-five;
• The girl is expecting a child for the first time.

Brain contusion

A dilated pupil is characteristic of damage affecting the tissues of the main organ of the central nervous system.

A bruise accompanied by mydriasis signals a serious injury. It is also characterized by the following symptoms:

• Loss of consciousness for a long period of time;
• Problems with swallowing function;
• Inadequacy;
• Uncontrolled movements of the eyeballs in different directions.

Chronic encephalopathies

This category includes brain diseases that are not accompanied by the development of a tumor or inflammatory processes. They appear in the following cases:

• Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages in large quantities;
• Increased hemoglobin level in the blood;
• Taking prohibited substances;
• Hypertension;
• Using more than one pack of tobacco products during the day;
• Atherosclerosis of the vascular system responsible for feeding the brain.

Patients with encephalopathy are distinguished not so much by dilated pupils as by personality changes. They suffer from memory loss, become apathetic, are not interested in anything, and often feel sleepy during the day. The patient is also bothered by tinnitus and severe headaches.

Schizophrenia

Pathology manifests itself differently in everyone, but several common symptoms can be identified:

• Problems with orientation in space;
• Hallucinations;
• Apathy;
• Reluctance to communicate with people;
• Psychosis.

In some cases, the disease is difficult to distinguish from signs accompanying drug use, so an examination by a doctor is required.

A brain tumor

If the tumor appears in the back of the head or compresses the path along which information flows from the retina to the brain, then the person has large pupils and the appearance of “floaters” before the eyes.

Acute alcohol or nicotine poisoning

When bad habits are abused, not only enlarged pupils are diagnosed, but also problems with memory, coordination and attentiveness. Also, the intelligibility of speech and the adequacy of behavior come under attack.

Alcohol or nicotine poisoning is accompanied by a characteristic odor from the mouth. The pupils return to their original state when the decay products from cigarettes or alcoholic beverages are completely eliminated from the body.

Hyperthyroidism

It occurs when the thyroid gland produces more hormones than it should. Main symptoms:

• Weight loss;
• Increased appetite;
• Periodic abdominal pain;
• Rapid pulse;
• Trembling in the muscles;
• Failure of the menstrual cycle.

Most dangerous condition

The danger is that when the main organ of the central nervous system “gets stuck” with any part in a large opening of the skull, the blood vessels are squeezed. As a result, this part dies off, and if it is very large or vital, then the person dies.

Symptoms that indicate that any delay could result in disaster include:

• Severe and persistent headaches. In some cases, they torment the patient for days on end;
• Apathy and depression. A person becomes like a bear that they are trying to wake up during winter hibernation. He slowly wakes up, consciousness returns gradually, does not understand the questions that are asked to him and cannot give a clear answer to them;
• The head is tilted to one side, all attempts to straighten its position end in failure. In case of serious complications, a disruption of the respiratory rhythm is observed;
• Movements of the arms and legs are limited, and the sensitivity threshold is reduced to almost zero. The patient does not perceive any stimuli.

If you notice any symptom, immediately go to the clinic for a full medical examination.