Your pupils can be large (dilated) due to a variety of reasons including low light conditions where dilation helps you see better, emotional factors like attraction or stress, use of medications or drugs that affect the muscles controlling pupil size, or eye injuries and neurological conditions. Specific causes include certain prescription or recreational drugs, trauma to the eye or brain, increased adrenaline from anxiety or stress, and natural responses to focusing on distant objects or cognitive load. If your pupils stay dilated in bright light without reason or if accompanied by other symptoms, it might indicate underlying health issues requiring medical attention like brain injury or nerve disorders.
More specifically:
- Pupils normally dilate in dim light to let in more light but should constrict in bright light.
- Medications such as antihistamines, antidepressants, or eye drops can cause dilation.
- Recreational drugs like amphetamines or LSD can keep pupils large.
- Emotional states including stress, fear, or attraction cause pupil dilation via adrenaline or dopamine release.
- Injuries to the eye or brain can disrupt pupil control mechanisms.
- Sometimes dilation is a sign of neurological problems requiring urgent care.
If your large pupils are a new or persistent change and not explained by lighting or emotions, it is advisable to consult a healthcare professional for evaluation.