Common Causes
Amphetamines: Ecstasy, Molly, MDMA, and similar drugs can cause blurred vision and changes in pupil size. The drugs can also cause rapid quivering of the pupils (nystagmus).
Related Conditions
Whether it’s illegal or prescribed, drugs can have effects on the eyes by causing them to dilate pupils. Pupils dilate or become large when exposed to light or other stimuli.
What drugs can cause pupils to quiver?
Stimulants: Prescription stimulant drugs like Ritalin and Adderall cause pupils to dilate because they change dopamine levels in your brain. Changes in pupil size are an indicator that a person might be intoxicated on illicit or recreational drugs. Some drugs cause your pupils to be less able to react to changes in light.
How do drugs affect your eyes?
Heroin: This narcotic can cause drooping eyelids due to sleepiness. The drug will also cause the pupils to constrict, leading to pinpoint pupils. Inhalants: Abusing substances like paint thinner or nitrous in canisters can lead to watering and red eyes as a sign of intoxication.
Why do my pupils dilate when I take stimulants?
What drugs cause drooping eyelids?
Can drugs make one pupil bigger than the other?
Some medications and illegal drugs can cause your pupils to change size in one or both eyes. Medications that can affect the way your pupils look include: Amphetamines. Anticholinergics.
What is the cause of unequal pupils?
A misshapen and/or asymmetrical pupil is usually due to disease of the iris (Figure 1). Common causes for iris-related anisocoria include previous corneal or cataract surgery, posterior synechiae (adhesions to the lens) from previous uveitis, or ocular injury (traumatic mydriasis).
What drugs cause little pupils?
Narcotic drugs, either legal or illicit, can constrict pupils. These include heroin, morphine, hydrocodone, and fentanyl. Overdose on these drugs can also lead to pinpoint pupils (when eyes don't respond to changes in light). PCP (phencyclidine).
What drugs can cause anisocoria?
Severe illnesses and various anticholinergic and sympathomimetic drugs may also cause anisocoria and mydriasis. The authors cite that anisocoria and mydriasis have occurred with fluvoxamine, bupropion, paroxetine, and sertraline.
Can unequal pupils be normal?
Slight differences between the two pupils may be present in up to 20 percent of people. This is called “physiologic anisocoria” and is normal. In these cases, there are no other symptoms and both of the person's pupils react to changes in light.
What does pinpoint eye pupils mean?
Pinpoint pupils are not a disease on their own, but they can indicate an underlying medical problem. Anyone experiencing pinpoint pupils with no apparent cause should see a doctor as soon as possible. Many of the causes of pinpoint pupils are serious medical conditions, such as opioid dependency or pesticide poisoning.
Can anxiety cause small pupils?
Medically reviewed by Marilyn Folk, BScN. Dilated or contracted pupils are common symptoms of anxiety disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and others.
Does Adderall cause dilated pupils?
Stimulants, such as Ritalin and Adderall, are common in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Both Ritalin and Adderall cause pupils to dilate. SSRIs enhance the effects of serotonin in the brain. They're the most commonly prescribed treatment for depression.
Types of Anisocoria
Characterization of anisocoria includes unequal pupil sizes. While the condition is common, the causes may or may not be benign .
Accompanying Symptoms of Anisocoria
Many people do not realize that their pupils vary in size. It may become apparent when they compare old and newer photos of themselves.
How is Anisocoria Diagnosed?
If you think you have anisocoria, you should speak with your ophthalmologist or healthcare professional.
When is Anisocoria Normal? When is Treatment Necessary?
Not all types of anisocoria will require treatment or indicate a serious health condition.
How to Correct Different Pupil Sizes
Correcting different pupil sizes will depend on the type of anisocoria you have.
Is Anisocoria Preventable?
Anisocoria may be preventable in some cases. For example, in pharmacologic anisocoria, stopping the administration of the pharmacologic agent causing the issue could provide relief.
What drugs cause pupils to dilate?
These drugs can cause your pupils to dilate when you are high: 1 Amphetamines 2 Bath salts 3 Cocaine and crack cocaine 4 Crystal meth and methamphetamine 5 Ecstasy or MDMA 6 Ketamine 7 LSD 8 Mescaline
What drugs affect the eyes?
Antidepressants: These can affect both serotonin and norepinephrine, which also affect muscles, including in your eyes. Antihistamines: These drugs block histamine, a chemical in your body that triggers allergy symptoms, including changes in your eyes like watering.
Why do my eyes dilate?
If you have healthy eyes, your pupils will dilate in the dark, pulled open by muscles in the iris of your eye, to allow more light to reach your retina so you can see as clearly as possible. An injury, illness, or drug can also cause your pupils to dilate.
What is the name of the eye drops that a doctor uses to dilate pupils?
Dilated Pupils for an Eye Exam. During a thorough eye exam, your optometrist or ophthalmologist may dilate your pupils using special eye drops called mydriatics. By opening your eyes wider, they can examine your retina and other structures deeper inside your eye during a slit lamp test.
Why do my eyes look so sensitive to light?
If you take a prescription that might change how your eyes look or how sensitive to light they are because your pupils dilate as a side effect, your doctor will warn you. People who abuse drugs for nonmedical reasons may not expect their pupils to dilate, but it can be a sign that they are intoxicated.
What happens if you take a prescription drug and your eyes are dilated?
If your pupils are dilated suddenly, not associated with a prescription drug or eye drops, it could be a sign of a medical emergency like head trauma.
What happens when you get a prescription for a medication?
When you receive a prescription for a medication, your doctor will talk to you about the side effects of the medication, especially if they think that your life will be affected by a side effect or you will need help managing it.
Overview
Anisocoria is the medical term for when one of your pupils is bigger than the other.
Symptoms and Causes
Anisocoria can be accompanied by serious symptoms. Go to the emergency room if one pupil is bigger than the other and you experience any of the following:
Diagnosis and Tests
Your healthcare provider will diagnose anisocoria by looking at your eyes and performing a physical exam to check for other symptoms. You might need imaging tests, including:
Management and Treatment
Treating what’s causing anisocoria is more important than treating the irregularity in your pupils.
Prevention
Because anisocoria can be caused by such a wide range of conditions, there’s no one surefire way to prevent it. Have your eyes examined regularly, and see your provider annually for a checkup.
Living With
Visit your healthcare provider or go to the emergency room right away if you notice any changes in your eyes or vision, including if your pupils are irregularly sized.
Different sized pupils could indicate a serious health issue requiring urgent medical care
The pupil is the black hole in the center of the iris, the part that gives your eye its unique color.
What causes unequal pupils?
Anisocoria may be diagnosed if one pupil is bigger or smaller than the other. In some cases, the pupils may continue to respond normally to light, while in other cases, their responses may differ from one another.
What to do if your pupils are unequal
If you notice that your pupils are not equal in size, schedule an eye exam as soon as possible to rule out any serious conditions.
What causes pupil dilation?
Internal factors that can affect pupil dilation include: 1 mental and emotional state 2 health conditions, such as Holmes-Adie syndrome, congenital aniridia, and mydriasis 3 brain and eye injuries 4 prescription medications 5 commonly misused drugs
Why do pupils expand in dim light?
Pupils dilate (expand) in dim light. This allows more light to reach the retina, making it easier to see. Other external factors, such as color and distance, also affect pupil dilation. You might have heard that looking at someone you love makes your pupils dilate.
What is a pinpoint pupil?
Pinpoint pupils are pupils that do not respond to changes in lighting. This is a sign of an opioid overdose, which is a medical emergency.
What are the precursors of dopamine?
Dopamine precursors, such as Levodopa, help to increase synthesis of the neurotransmitter dopamine. mydriatics. mydriasis, iritis, and cyclitis. Mydriatics are a class of drugs that cause pupil dilation. Sometimes called eye dilation drops, they’re commonly used during eye exams and surgeries.
What are the stimulants used for ADHD?
stimulants. attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Stimulants, such as Ritalin and Adderall , are common in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Both Ritalin and Adderall cause pupils to dilate.
What are the effects of Benzodiazepines?
Benzodiazepines enhance the effects of a neurotransmitter called GABA, which relaxes the muscles. decongestants. sinus congestion. Decongestants shrink the blood vessels in the nose, helping to treat swelling, inflammation, and mucus buildup.
What are the effects of TCAs?
Antihistamines block the action of histamine, an immune system chemical that triggers allergy symptoms, such as itchiness, a runny nose, and swelling.
Eye Changes Related to Specific Drugs
Characterized by a difference in pupil size from one eye to the other.
Unequal pupils is not always related to an underlying condition. It may be caused by:
- Physiologic anisocoria: a condition where pupils are naturally differently sized
- Use of eye drops
- Entry of certain medicines or chemicals into the eye
Attempts to Cover For Changes in The Eyes Or Vision
Long-Term Damage & Eye Diseases from Substance Abuse
Stop Eye Damage by Overcoming Substance Abuse
