How to enlarge the pupil? This question is often of interest to 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-pharmacological methods for increasing pupils. 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
In what cases does the pupil need to be enlarged? In some cases, this must be done for medical reasons:
- Before examination of the fundus. On the eve of the procedure, the doctor prescribes special drops to the patient to dilate the pupil. This allows the ophthalmologist to better see the structure of the fundus.
- Before eye surgery. Before surgery, it is often required to dilate the pupils. This facilitates operations.
Often women seek to dilate the pupils for aesthetic purposes. This gives the look more expressiveness and attractiveness. People perceive dilated pupils as a sign of good mood and friendliness. However, in such cases, it is not recommended to use strong eye drops. They have many side effects and should only be used for medicinal purposes and as directed by a doctor. If you want to expand the pupils for beauty, then you should use safer methods. We will consider them further.
How the eye muscles work
Before answering the question: “How to enlarge the pupils?”, It is necessary to get into the work of the eye muscles. In the organ of vision, there are two muscle groups:
The central nervous system responds 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 lumen in the iris increases, and more light rays enter the eye. This allows a person to distinguish the outline of objects in the dark.
With an average level of lighting, the size of the pupil in an adult is 4 mm on average, and in a child about 5-6 mm.
Factors
Consider the factors affecting the work of the radial muscle. The following reasons for the expansion of the pupils can be distinguished:
- low level of lighting;
- increased adrenaline production;
- experiencing vivid emotions;
- alcohol and caffeinated drinks;
- exposure to the hormone serotonin;
- increased interest in the object of vision.
There are pathological causes of mydriasis. For example, with myopia and farsightedness, a person has to strain his eyes to examine any object. This drives the radial muscle. Dilated pupils in a patient may occur with cramping of the eye muscles, increased intracranial pressure, as well as fragility of the scleral vessels.
Next, we will consider various ways to increase the clearance in the iris.
Medications
There are special drops for dilating the pupils. These include:
- Irifrin.
- Midrum.
- "Atropine".
However, such drugs can only be used as directed by a doctor. They are used before ophthalmological examinations, as well as for the treatment of eye diseases. Burrowing such drugs to improve the appearance is strictly prohibited. These funds have many contraindications and side effects.
Drops of "Irifrin" act on receptors sensitive to adrenaline. This adrenal hormone causes dilated pupils. The drug also has a vasoconstrictor effect. Instructions for the use of eye drops "Irifrin" prohibits the use of this drug for diabetes, angle-closure glaucoma, hypertension, heart disease and thyroid gland. In some patients, the drug can cause tachycardia, increased blood pressure, a sharp narrowing of the coronary arteries.
How long do drops work to dilate the pupil? After the use of the drug "Irifrin", the lumen in the iris increases by about 2 hours. This is a short-acting medicine, it is used shortly before diagnostic examinations.
Drops "Midrum" are anticholinergic. They inhibit the action of the nervous system on the eye. This leads to relaxation of the circular muscle and enlargement of the pupil. However, this drug causes a spasm of accommodation and short-term visual impairment. Mydriasis occurs approximately 5-10 minutes after instillation and reaches a maximum after 1 hour. The effect of the use of the drug lasts up to 6 hours. These drops cannot be used for glaucoma. They can cause headache, dry mouth, a drop in blood pressure, and urinary retention.
"Atropine" is a drop to dilate the pupil of a long action. Their effect may persist for several days. The drug is also an anticholinergic. This is one of the most powerful midriatics, in no case can it be used independently. The drug causes a noticeable visual disturbance, which is temporary. It has the same unpleasant side effects as Midrum, but more pronounced and long-lasting. Nowadays, doctors are trying to prescribe more sparing agents before diagnostic examinations.
Drinks and Nutritional Supplements
How to enlarge the pupil using special nutrition? This can be done by regularly including caffeinated drinks in the diet:
- strong tea;
- coffee;
- energy.
Caffeine increases adrenaline production by the adrenal glands, leading to an increase in pupils. The effect of this substance on the body lasts about 5 hours.
However, abusing caffeinated drinks is still unsafe. This can lead to tachycardia, insomnia, and jumps in blood pressure. Caffeine is strictly contraindicated in diseases of the heart, hypertension, and also with increased nervous excitability.
Alcohol intake also contributes to pupil enlargement. After drinking a glass of red wine, a person has marked mydriasis, which does not last long. Such a means of enlarging the pupils is often not recommended. Drinking alcohol does more harm to the body than good.
How to enlarge the pupil with food additives? In pharmacy chains and sports nutrition stores you can find the drug "5-HTP". It contains serotonin. This substance causes mydriasis. In addition, the intake of dietary supplements helps to improve mood, good healthy 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.
Auto-suggestion
How to enlarge the pupils on their own, without the use of drops and nutritional supplements? As we already mentioned, the central nervous system affects the size of the hole in the iris. You can try the following methods based on auto-suggestion:
- Imagine you are in total darkness or think of any black objects. If a person has a well-developed imagination, then this method can cause pupil expansion, 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 topics that are pleasant to you. Positive emotions increase the formation of serotonin in the body, which doctors call the "hormone of pleasure."
With long 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 pupils on their own with exercise? The easiest way is to stay in a darkened room. Lack of light leads to increased activity of the radial muscle. However, physiological mydriasis persists for a very short time. After the birth of the pupils again narrow for 1-3 minutes.
You can try the following types of exercises for the eyes:
- Keep your eyes on the distant subject. You need to try to consider it in detail. Increased eye function will cause severe mydriasis.
- Go into a dark room and try to carefully examine the objects surrounding you.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles and keep them in this state for as long as possible. This will cause dilated pupils. 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 strong drops to improve the appearance of the eyes. Mydriatics can only be used as prescribed by an ophthalmologist before diagnostic procedures. The abuse of such drugs can lead to impaired accommodation, visual disturbances, as well as general intoxication of the body.