Meth Eyes: Does Meth Dilate Your Pupils?

Methamphetamine drug use has many side effects on the body, such as meth mouth or an increase in body temperature.

Addiction to this drug can cause damaging side effects to the general health of the person who uses the drug that tend to be noticeable to others.

One of those effects is on the eyes. In particular, methamphetamine causes the pupils of your eyes to be dilated (become larger). But there are other side effects of meth abuse as well.

Short-Term Effects Of Methamphetamine On The Eyes

Drug abuse in general often affects the eyes in a variety of ways. But meth, in particular, is known for a couple of immediately noticeable effects.

Snorting the drug puts it in close proximity to your eyes, so the effects can be heightened. But injecting the drug can also cause these short-term effects.

Eye Dilation

Meth use causes your eyes to be dilated, so the pupils appear larger than normal.

Dilation of the pupils is usually the result of methamphetamine dramatically increasing dopamine in the central nervous system.

Rapid Eye Movement

Another telltale sign of methamphetamine substance abuse is rapid eye movement.

In addition to the general agitation that the drug causes, meth can cause eyes to move quickly back and forth, which means the person using meth will not be able to focus well.

Vision Impairment

Finally, the effects of methamphetamine use on the eyes can include impairment to your vision.

This means that while using crystal meth, your vision can become blurred or even severely impaired to the point of not being able to see for a period of time.

Will Meth Use Affect The Eyes Long-Term?

Unfortunately, some of the negative health effects of meth do not go away when you stop taking the drug. This can bring many challenges to your health care.

With regards to eyes, methamphetamine can cause:

• crystalline retinopathy: refractile deposits in the retina that can disturb your vision
• retinal vascular occlusive disease: blockages of arteries to your retina which decrease or stop blood flow to that part of your eye, causing nerve damage that is often permanent

These effects of meth use can often be in addition to other known mental and physical effects, such as high blood pressure, high heart rate, skin sores, and weight loss.

Addiction Treatment Services For Methamphetamine Abuse

An addiction to meth doesn’t just affect your eyes. Long-term effects of meth use include many life-threatening or damaging conditions, such as increased risk for heart attack and psychosis.

If you have a substance use disorder involving methamphetamine, addiction treatment is available.

A treatment program for meth addiction may have several components, such as:

• detoxification
• inpatient or outpatient treatment
• evidence-based therapy
• support groups
• aftercare

Unlike opioid or alcohol abuse, there are no medication-assisted treatments for methamphetamine drug addiction.
Medication can be used to lessen the withdrawal symptoms and support groups can help get you through cravings.

Find Treatment For Meth Addiction At Bedrock Recovery Center

At Bedrock Recovery Center on the east coast, we know the effective ways of treating methamphetamine addiction and we want to help you or your loved one begin your recovery.

Call our helpline today to speak with our top-rated treatment providers and get started on a new journey free of meth.