Dilated Pupils: Causes, Side Effects & Exercise Impact

Dilated pupils can occur naturally during exercise or as a reaction to medications and eye drops. Understanding the side effects of dilating and numbing drops is essential for managing adverse ocular reactions.

using eyedropper to treat irritated eyes

Adverse Reaction to Pupil-Dilating Eye Drops

The pupil is the central opening in the iris, the colored part of the eye. Pupil size modulates the amount of light entering the eye. In lighted conditions, the pupil opening is normally relatively small. Pupil-dilating drops temporarily override normal control of the pupil size, causing it to open widely.

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Side Effects of Dilating Eyes

Dilating drops allow doctors a better view into the eye, make it easier to perform eye surgery, and relieve the pain of some eye diseases, like uveitis, an inflammation of the uvea in the eye. Drops used to dilate eyes are called mydriatics.

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