Dilated Pupils Drugs, Signs of Drug Use in the Eyes

Dilated Pupils Drugs. What Drugs Cause Dilated Pupils?

The round opening in the center of the iris (the colored tissue that makes the “eye color” at the front of the eye). The pupils naturally dilate depending on your exposure to light. When the light is too bright, your pupils will constrict to minimize the amount getting into your eyes and dilate (widen) in dim light. The dilation of the pupil is an involuntary nervous system response to light that protects your eyes from too much light and aids your vision when in poorly lit areas. However, light is not the only factor that can affect pupil dilation. Distance, medications, color, drug use, and underlying health factors like sexual attraction and arousal can also play a role.

Dilated pupils, an enlargement of the black portion of the center of the eye, are one common symptom of drug use. Some drugs trigger the body’s fight-or-flight adrenaline response by interacting with serotonin and adrenergic receptors in the brain. This chemical reaction leads to mydriasis, the muscle relaxation that expands the eye’s pupil and lets in more light.

Stimulants and psychotropic drugs most commonly cause pupil dilation. However, this symptom can result from ingesting alcohol, mescaline, cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), MDMA (Molly/Ecstasy), amphetamines, cannabis, inhalants, narcotics, hallucinogens, bath salts, ketamine, and SSRI antidepressants. Pupil dilation is also associated with heroin and opioid withdrawal. This symptom tends to wear off, along with the other effects of the drug. Some drugs, most commonly opioids such as heroin, cause pinpoint pupils. The pupils get smaller and do not respond to light.

Pupil Size Statistics

Substance abuse continues to be a significant problem in our society, with millions of adolescents and adults using illicit drugs. Numerous illicit drugs or chemicals are causing unwanted physiological changes in our bodies. Several of these may have ophthalmic effects. A change in pupil size can be an indication of drug consumption. In the dim light, your pupil expands to allow more light to enter your eye. In bright light, it contracts. Understanding their adverse effects on the eye can aid in early diagnosis and initiating appropriate treatment.

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Can Alcohol Dilate Your Pupils?

Alcohol causes every muscle in the body to relax, including the iris muscles, which make the pupils dilate and constrict. As a result, a person intoxicated with alcohol will experience slower-than-usual pupil dilation and constriction.

Slow pupil reaction related to alcohol use is why people are often advised against drunk driving. It affects an intoxicated person’s response to oncoming headlights, which can be dangerous. The pupil dilation due to alcohol intake is only temporary, which means that alcohol will only affect the pupils when someone is intoxicated.

How Long Do Dilated Pupils Last After Drugs?

The ability to reverse pupil dilation depends on the cause. When taking an eye exam, your doctor will put dilation drops into your eye to keep the pupil dilated, allowing them to view your eye effectively.  After the eye exam, the effects of the dilating eye drops will take some time to wear off. The time they take to wear off depends on the person.

Usually, after your eye doctor puts on some dilation drops on your eyes, it may take 20 to 30 minutes before your pupils are fully dilated. After they are dilated, it might take 4 to 6 hours before the effects wear off. Some people, especially those with lighter-colored eyes, might take longer than usual for the effects to wear off.

For pupil dilation caused by medications (dilated pupils drugs), whether prescription or over-the-counter, the condition might persist until the effects of the drug wear off. It can be impossible to tell precisely how long the dilation effects will last since people react differently to various medications.

What are the Short-Term Side Effects of Pupil Dilation Drugs?

Whether you have dilated pupils because of an eye exam or drug dilated pupils, you will experience some short-term side effects. For example, you might experience some form of discomfort when you come close to bright lights. This is because dilated pupils are sensitive to bright beams. 

The discomfort you experience is caused by your eyes trying to adjust to the lighting conditions through constriction. In this case, your pupils will be too sensitive to the light but cannot contract normally.

Other possible short-term side effects of dilated pupils drugs include:

• Blurry vision
• Migraines
• Trouble focusing on close objects
• Eye pain

What is the Long-Term Damage & Eye Diseases from Drug Abuse?

When an individual struggles with drug addiction and substance abuse for a long time, they are more likely to suffer severe health problems. Diabetes, blood pressure problems, heart damage, kidney and liver damage, cancer, and ulcers in the stomach and small intestine are just a few of the frequently reported health issues of drug abuse.

Drug abuse is also correlated to long-term issues with vision due to damage to the eyes, ocular nerve, and the brain. Here are a few long-term problems to the eyes caused by substance addiction and abuse:

• Age-related macular degeneration: This cause of vision loss can occur in people over age 50 regardless of long-term health; however, it is more likely to happen and can be worsened, due to substance abuse, especially abuse of alcohol and tobacco.
• Endophthalmitis: This is inflammation inside the eyes caused by infection. This condition is sometimes associated with injecting drugs using dirty needles, which can cause infections to spread all over the body.
• Damage to corneas: Keratitis is inflammation of the corneas, which can distort vision, and topical anesthetics, cocaine, and crack cocaine can all cause this type of inflammation. Long-term abuse causing consistent keratitis can lead to infectious ulcers in the corneas and corneal perforation.
• Dry eye syndrome: Persistent dry eyes, problems forming tears, and feeling as though eyes are irritated are issues that can develop due to heavy alcohol consumption, although they are not related to current alcohol intoxication.
• Glaucoma: Changes in blood pressure alter the fluid pressure in the eye itself, and long-term increases in intraocular pressure can lead to glaucoma. Alcohol use disorder is a common factor in substance-induced glaucoma.
• Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD): More often called flashbacks, this condition involves sudden, repeated recurrences of some of the sensory changes experienced during LSD use. This can include seeing things that are not there and distortions in the peripheral vision. HPPD is most common with LSD and not associated with organic hallucinogens like psilocybin.
• Lesions: Drugs that come as eye drops can cause damage to the conjunctiva or the whites of the eyes. Long-term damage includes noncancerous lesions.
• Ocular bone damage: Snorting drugs can damage the tissues around the sinuses to the point of degeneration; most often, this appears as septal perforation or extreme damage of the tissue between nostrils. However, tissue damage can continue into the upper palate and the small bones around the sinuses, including the ocular ridge bones.
• Maculopathy: This is degeneration of the retina, typically related to age but also caused by substance abuse in some cases. The central part of the person’s vision becomes blurry and distorted. This condition often rapidly worsens because the eye and brain will compensate for this vision loss in the early stages. Poppers, cocaine, and other drugs that are snorted are associated with maculopathy.
•  Persistent changes in eye movement: Nystagmus, or rapid eye motion, is a symptom of intoxication on a variety of drugs. If changes in eye movements do not go away after the person has detoxed from the substance, it could indicate brain damage that has changed how the brain processes visual stimuli.
•  Toxic cataracts: Long-term substance abuse can lead to the development of cataracts due to the poisonous effects of the substance on the body.

Treatment for Drug Abuse 

To determine the most effective ways to treat drug abuse and co-occurring alcohol addiction, it’s crucial to assess all the symptoms accurately. When a mental health professional has evaluated the symptoms, it may be determined that another form of depression is present and needs a particular treatment. Very often, some combination of medication, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes are effective for coping with functional.

Medically Assisted Detox

Detox is often considered the first stage of treatment. It will help you navigate the complicated process of alcohol withdrawal but doesn’t address patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to alcohol use. Various treatment approaches and settings can help provide the ongoing support necessary to maintain long-term sobriety after you complete detox.

Cravings are very common side effects of drug dependency during detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care provided during inpatient treatment helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can give the necessary medication and medical expertise to lessen cravings and the effects of alcohol withdrawals.

Psychotherapy for Depression

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of depression, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – is an effective treatment that involves changing both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression.
• Person–centered therapy is a strategy that allows and encourages clients to understand and resolve their concerns in a safe, supportive environment.
• Solution Focused Therapy – an approach interested in solutions that can be quickly implemented with a simple first step leading to further positive consequences.