Eyes Could Reveal Clues about Bipolar Disorder

Depression often shows on the face of a person like a book’s cover. Slumped shoulders, feeling dead inside, and crying helplessly, is what really depression looks like to the person suffering. But mania can be tricky. It can look like happiness sometimes and rage other times.

According to the study, Biological Psychiatry, a specialized eye exam has helped in determining whether a child is at a higher than normal risk of developing bipolar disorder. In this study, researchers have looked at retinas of healthy young adults who were at a higher genetic risk of developing bipolar disorder due to having one parent with either bipolar disorder. Results revealed that the ability of light to activate the eye rods was significant, even when the investigators of the study accounted for age, gender, and the season of testing. There was no difference in the eyes’ cones' responses between the two groups.

The mania associated with bipolar disorder causes feelings of heightened euphoria, creativity, and energy. It almost feels that the person is high, and it often results in reckless behavior. Instead of worrying about the consequences, people experiencing mania feel intensely happy and hyperactive. However, if things do not turn the right way, they can become very angry and furious. They will easy lash out at people, pick fights, and won’t accept criticism or disapproval.

Clues to Recognize Mania in the Eyes

1. Sparkling eyes in the euphoric mania episodes

Euphoric mania often creates a sparkling quality to the liquid in the eyes. People look in the mirror and feel delighted to see their face. They tend not to find flaws; the skin is perfect, the eyes are shining, and they feel very attractive.

But research is needed to assess if these changes in the eyes are just perceptional changes due to mania or if there is a change in the liquid coating of the eyes.

1. Darker Eyes in Dysphoric Mania

Both euphoric and dysphoric states of mania cause massive changes in the adrenaline. The increase of adrenaline will make the pupil expand as the body tries to prepare itself for any external issues that could be causing it to surge. As the colored section of the eyes contracts to open the pupil, it will start looking darker. For people who have a ring of different color in their eyes, the ring might overtake the primary color of the iris, making it appear that the eyes have changed color entirely.

1. Changes in Eye Shape

At the time of euphoric bouts of mania, a person with bipolar disorder generally feels wonderful and happy. As they try to take in all of their surroundings as quickly as possible, their eyes tend to become wider and more open. The opposite happens during the dysphoric mania episode. When a person feels angry, upset, or suspicious, their eyes tend to get narrow and look squinty.

The common symptoms noticed at times of manic episodes in bipolar diagnosed individuals are that they become very energetic, talk quickly, have difficulty focusing, and sleep rarely. But in addition to these personality changes, mania is often accompanied by a few key physical signs that are visible in the eyes.

Robert The author is a veteran from the field of Mental health, who works at BP Hope Magazine and is writing a lot of informative stuff since long.