Why do I get dilated pupils when I have a migraine? | Migraine Education | Naturopathic Q&A
Channel: Javier Palacios-Campillay N.D.
Date: 2022-02-04

DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this presentation is only for educational purposes. This information is not intended to diagnose or treat your medical condition. Please consult with your doctor before trying any changes that could affect your health. The creator of this video is not responsible for any outcomes of the choices the viewer decides from this presentation. 

Migraine Question of the Day:

"DOES ANYONE GET DILATED EYES WITH MIGRAINES?"

In this questions, let's explore the cause of a dilated eyes. Dilated eyes are when either one eye or both eyes have widened pupils. In other words, the dark spots in your eyes become larger than usual.  In the medical world, this is called "mydriasis". Dilated pupils are a normal reaction to light changes, stress changes (adrenaline) and sexual arousal (serotonin surge). 

But there are also other causes of dilated pupils that you need to be aware, such as: 

* Medications like antidepressants, anti-histamines, atropine (anti-diarrheal), and anti-nausea to name a few. 
* Recreational psychoactive drugs like psilocybin (magic mushroom), ecstasy, cocaine and LSD. 
* Head or brain injury
* Migraine episodes

Now that we understand a bit more about dilated pupils, how can migraines give us this reaction? The answer lies in our involuntary nervous system: Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous system. 

When you have a stress response, adrenaline and other hormones create a response to keep your focus sharp and digestion limited so you can use the energy in your body to finish your task. This is the sympathetic response. 

The parasympathetic system does just the opposite. It stops the production of adrenaline and keeps your body in a restful state. Therefore, you are able to eat, digest and rest. 

Pupils get dilated or constricted by small muscles in the iris due to light changes, stress events or sexual arousal as we mentioned before. A migraine attack can trigger the sympathetic system a bit too much to the point your pupils become and stay dilated. Or the other scenario is the parasympathetic nerves (rest and digest) is not working properly, which makes the sympathetic system overact again. Keep in mind though, this is not true for every migraine sufferer. 

If you have migraines and dilated pupils are a normal reaction, then it is probably not a dangerous scenario. However, if you experience a migraine and you develop mydriasis (dilated pupils) for the first time, this is a new change; which means you should let your doctor know about it. Again, don't stay silent on your symptoms, for a cause of dilated pupils could be a hidden brain injury. 

Your body has an internal balance and we have to be aware of its changes. Our naturopathic tenant of "treating the root cause" applies in this situation. We will find out the causes of your stresses, and sympathetic/parasympathetic imbalance by providing lifestyle, dietary and supplemental changes. Our focus is not to give you a something to get rid of your dilated pupils and call it a day; rather we want to help you address your internal imbalance and from there, start seeing results. 

For more information on how we can work together on addressing root causes of your migraines, visit my biography at https://lnkd.in/e8xghNcA
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