There are many side effects when you are addicted to drugs like nausea, mood changes, aggression, lack of sleep, loss of coordination, and more. The way a person’s eyes look can show others just how deep someone is in their addiction. By going into treatment for drug addiction, you can not only protect your eyes but your overall health.

What Your Eyes Look Like Under Drugs

You can tell how intoxicated a person is based on the size of their pupils, their motion, and the color in the whites of their eyes. Bloodshot eyes are a common symptom of being intoxicated as the blood vessels in the eyes expand. Other drugs can cause eyes to water, heavy eyelids, or the pupils to change size. Pinpoint pupils normally mean opioid intoxication or overdose. Other eye symptoms can occur like nystagmus where your eyeballs move at a rapid pace. 

What Specific Drugs Can Do To Your Eyes

While nearly every substance can cause changes to your eyes, each drug can cause different changes. Alcohol can lead to double vision or blurry vision. Cocaine can dilate the pupils and give you visual hallucinations. Heroin can cause droopy eyelids and lead to pinpoint pupils. Bloodshot eyes are the most common side effects of marijuana use. 

Long-Term Damage to the Eyes Through Drug Use

Drug use can lead to several health problems like diabetes, cancer, liver and heart problems, and ulcers in the stomach and small intestine. Your vision can also be a cost of your drug use because of damages to your eyes, ocular nerve, and brain. If you are over 50, you can develop macular degeneration where you can suffer from vision loss as a result of your addiction to alcohol and tobacco. Your corneas can be damaged as a result of topical anesthetics, cocaine, and crack cocaine. This can lead to infectious ulcers in the corneas and corneal perforation. 

Other eye diseases include dry eye syndrome where your eyes are irritated as a result of heavy alcohol consumption. Glaucoma can also occur where changes in blood pressure change the fluid pressure in the eye. These are just some of the eye-related diseases that can happen to you because of long-term drug use. The best way to protect your eyes and your overall health is to seek addiction treatment now.

At Alta Loma Transformational Living, you will meet knowledgeable, compassionate professionals that understand addiction in all its forms.  Alta Loma uses an integrative and holistic approach to treat addiction and mental health issues. No treatment is one-size-fits-all, where you will have a team of experts prepared to create your customized treatment plan.  We offer care for your mind, body, and spirit, so that you can heal from the inside out and look forward to a lifetime of sobriety and wellness. If you are ready to take the first step in your recovery, please call us at 866-457-3843.