Nevertheless, when the body has fully recovered from the stress of being anxious, dilated or contracted pupils will completely disappear. When dilated or contracted pupils are caused by persistent stress, such as from stress-response hyperstimulation, it may take a lot more time for the body to calm down and recover, and to the point where this anxiety symptom subsides. But this is normal and shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Keep in mind that it can take up to 20 minutes or more for the body to recover from a major stress response. As your body recovers from the active stress response, this anxiety symptom should subside. When dilated or contracted pupils are caused by apprehensive behavior and the accompanying stress response changes, calming yourself down will bring an end to the stress response and its changes. If your doctor attributes this symptom to anxiety/stress, you can treat it like you would any other symptom of stress. Some recreational drugs can cause pupils to dilate whereas others to contract.Īnd there are medical conditions that can dilate or contract pupils.įor that reason, it’s recommended you talk with your doctor about this symptom in order to rule out any other cause. Recreational drugs can also affect pupil size. There are many medications that can affect pupil size. For example, benzodiazepine medications can reduce pupil size in some people whereas Effexor (SNRIs) can cause pupils to dilate. It’s also common for medications to affect the size of the pupils. But since each person is somewhat chemically unique, elevated stress can also cause pupils to contract for some people. This is why the pupils become larger and why our eyes become overly sensitive to light when the body is experiencing a stress response and/or when overly stressed. Moreover, as part of our survival mechanism, the stress response is supposed to dilate the pupils in the eyes so that they can take in more visual information when danger is perceived. Because elevated stress can adversely affect the nervous system and how the sensory organs function, stress, including anxiety-caused stress, and a lack of sleep can affect the size of the pupils in the eyes. The eyes are a sensory organ that function in conjunction with the nervous system. Your pupil size can also change in episodes, where it’s extreme one moment and barely noticeable the next.ĭilated or contracted pupils can change from day to day, and/or from moment to moment.Īll of the above combinations and variations are common. The change in pupil size can range in degrees from slight, to moderate, to extreme. For example, you may notice a change in the size of your pupils once and a while and not that often, notice it off and on, or experience it persistently.ĭilated or contracted pupils may precede, accompany, or follow an escalation of other anxiety sensations and symptoms, or occur by itself.ĭilated or contracted pupils can precede, accompany, or follow an episode of nervousness, anxiety, fear, and elevated stress, or occur ‘out of the blue’ and for no apparent reason. For some people, the constriction can be so significant that the pupil is barely noticeable.ĭilated or contracted pupils can come and go rarely, occur frequently, or persist indefinitely. The pupils in your eyes look contracted and unusually small.For some people, the dilation can be substantial, and to the point of where it looks like it takes up the entire iris. The pupils in your eyes look dilated and unusually big.If you prefer, you can also discuss this symptom with an optometrist. It's wise to discuss this symptom with your doctor to ensure correct diagnosis. Pupils anxiety symptoms - dilated or contracted - common descriptions: This article explains the relationship between anxiety and how it can affect the pupils in your eyes. Dilated or contracted pupils are common symptoms of anxiety disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and others.
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