How to enlarge the pupil? This question is often asked by patients. The pupil is a hole in the iris. Its size depends on the amount of light entering the eye. There are many pharmacological and non-drug methods for pupil enlargement. How effective are these methods? And can they be used at home without a doctor's prescription? We will consider these issues in the article.
What is it for
When should the pupil be enlarged? In some cases, this is necessary for medical reasons:
- Before the fundus examination. On the eve of the procedure, the doctor prescribes special drops to the patient to dilate the pupil. This allows the ophthalmologist to better examine the structure of the fundus.
- Before eye surgery. Pupil dilation is often required before surgery. This facilitates operations.
It is not uncommon for women to dilate their pupils for aesthetic purposes. This gives the lookgreat expressiveness and attractiveness. People around perceive dilated pupils as a sign of good mood and friendliness. However, in such cases, it is not recommended to use potent eye drops. They have many side effects and should only be used for medical purposes and as prescribed by a doctor. If you want to expand the pupils for beauty, then you should use safer methods. We will look at them further.
How the eye muscles work
Before answering the question: "How to increase the pupils?", It is necessary to look into the work of the eye muscles. There are two muscle groups in the organ of vision:
- radial;
- circular.
The central nervous system reacts to light. In bright light, it sends signals to the eye. This activates the circular muscle, which narrows the lumen in the iris. Therefore, in bright light, the size of the pupils always decreases. This protects the retina from sunburn.
In the dark, the radial muscle begins to work. It is she who is responsible for the expansion of the pupil (mydriasis). The opening in the iris increases, and more light rays enter the eye. This allows a person to distinguish the outline of objects in the dark.
Adult pupil size averages 4 mm in average light levels, and around 5-6 mm in children.
Factors
Let's consider the factors influencing the work of the radial muscle. The following reasons for dilated pupils can be distinguished:
- lowlighting level;
- increased production of adrenaline;
- experiencing vivid emotions;
- consumption of alcohol and caffeinated drinks;
- effect of the hormone serotonin;
- increased interest in the object of vision.
There are also pathological causes of mydriasis. For example, with nearsightedness and farsightedness, a person has to strain his eyes to see an object. This activates the radial muscle. Dilated pupils in a patient can be observed with spasms of the eye muscles, increased intracranial pressure, and fragility of the vessels of the sclera.
Next, we will look at various ways to increase the lumen in the iris.
Medications
There are special drops for pupil dilation. These include:
- "Irifrin".
- "Midrum".
- "Atropine".
However, such drugs can only be used as prescribed by a doctor. They are used before ophthalmological examinations, as well as for the treatment of eye diseases. It is strictly forbidden to bury such drugs to improve the appearance. These drugs have many contraindications and side effects.
Drops "Irifrin" affect receptors that are sensitive to adrenaline. This adrenal hormone causes the pupils to dilate. The drug also has a vasoconstrictive effect. Instructions for use of eye drops "Irifrin" prohibits the use of this remedy for diabetes mellitus, angle-closure glaucoma, hypertension, heart diseaseand thyroid gland. In some patients, the drug can cause tachycardia, increased blood pressure, a sharp narrowing of the coronary arteries.
How long do pupil dilation drops last? After using the drug "Irifrin", the lumen in the iris increases by about 2 hours. It is a short-acting drug and is used shortly before diagnostic tests.
Drops "Midrum" refer to anticholinergics. They inhibit the action of the nervous system on the eye. This leads to relaxation of the circular muscle and an increase in the pupil. However, this drug causes spasm of accommodation and short-term blurred vision. Mydriasis occurs approximately 5-10 minutes after instillation and reaches a maximum after 1 hour. The effect of the drug lasts up to 6 hours. These drops should not be used for glaucoma. They can cause headache, dry mouth, drop in blood pressure, urinary retention.
"Atropine" is a long-acting pupil dilation drop. Their effect may last for several days. The drug is also an anticholinergic. This is one of the most powerful mydriatics, it should never be used alone. The drug causes a noticeable visual impairment, which is temporary. It has the same unpleasant side effects as Midrum, but more pronounced and longer lasting. Nowadays, doctors are trying to prescribe more gentle means before diagnostic examinations.
Drinks & Supplements
Howincrease the pupil with a special diet? You can do this by regularly including caffeinated drinks in your diet:
- strong tea;
- coffee;
- energy.
Caffeine increases the production of adrenaline by the adrenal glands, which leads to enlarged pupils. The effect of this substance on the body lasts about 5 hours.
However, it is still not safe to abuse caffeinated drinks. This can lead to tachycardia, insomnia, jumps in blood pressure. Caffeine is categorically contraindicated in heart disease, hypertension, and increased nervous excitability.
Alcohol intake also contributes to pupil enlargement. After drinking a glass of red wine, a person has pronounced mydriasis, which does not last long. It is often not recommended to resort to such a means of increasing pupils. Drinking alcohol does more harm to the body than good.
How to enlarge the pupil with food supplements? In pharmacy chains and sports nutrition stores you can find the drug "5-HTP". It contains serotonin. This substance causes mydriasis. In addition, taking dietary supplements helps to improve mood, sound he althy sleep and normalize weight. However, it should be remembered that taking an excessive amount of a dietary supplement can cause nausea and diarrhea, since excess serotonin irritates the digestive tract.
Autosuggestion
How to increase pupils on your own, without the use of drops and nutritional supplements? Howwe have already mentioned that the size of the opening in the iris is influenced by the central nervous system. You can try using the following methods based on self-suggestion:
- Imagine that you are in complete darkness or think of some black objects. If a person has a well-developed imagination, then such a method can cause pupil dilation, which will last about 10-15 minutes.
- Remember the situations that cause you strong and vivid emotions. This stimulates increased production of the hormone adrenaline, which promotes mydriasis.
- Close your eyes and think about things that make you happy. Positive emotions increase the production of serotonin in the body, which doctors call the "pleasure hormone".
With prolonged training, you can learn to influence the size of the pupil with the power of thought. However, these methods are difficult to use when communicating with people. After all, it is impossible to simultaneously perceive the words of the interlocutor and engage in self-hypnosis.
Eye exercises
How to increase the pupils yourself with the help of exercises? The easiest way is to stay in a darkened room. The lack of light leads to the activation of the work of the radial muscle. However, physiological mydriasis does not last very long. After entering the light, the pupils will constrict again within 1-3 minutes.
You can try the following eye exercises:
- Fix your gaze on a distant object. You need to try to consider it in all details. The increased work of the eyes will cause pronounced mydriasis.
- Go into a dark room and try to carefully consider the objects around you.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles and hold them there for as long as possible. This will cause the pupils to dilate. Doctors have not yet found an exact explanation for this phenomenon.
Conclusion
We have found that there are many safe ways to increase pupils at home. Therefore, do not use potent drops to improve the appearance of the eyes. Mydriatics can only be used as directed by an ophthalmologist before diagnostic procedures. Abuse of such drugs can lead to disturbance of accommodation, visual disturbances, as well as to general intoxication of the body.
