Have you started noticing that your eyelids seem to droop when you smoke weed? Could that be the reason for your eyelid problem – that you smoked marijuana?
In today’s post, we’re going to tell you what happens to your eyes/body when you smoke or take in cannabis. You will also find the many possible answers to this nagging question: Why do your eyes get low when you smoke weed? Let’s begin.
What Happens When You’re Smoking Weed?
When weed enters the body, it immediately starts attaching to the body’s own cannabinoid receptors which are part of the endocannabinoid system. These receptors are located in various places throughout the body, including the nervous system and the brain, and they’re part of a network that takes part in many vital processes in the body. The main cannabinoids in weed, THC and CBD, bind to these receptors and influence the body in various ways.
Why Do Your Eyes Get Low When You’re High?
OK, first things first – you should know that getting low eyes/droopy eyelids when smoking weed doesn’t happen to everyone, but it’s quite normal. Therefore, if it’s happening to you and not happening to your marijuana-smoking buddies, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s something wrong with you.
If you suspect that your smoking habit is causing you to experience having droopy eyelids, we might have something there. Even if there are no sufficient studies on getting low eyes when smoking weed, there are people who do experience this and have documented their experiences for us to get knowledge from.
Stick around and we’ll cover the symptoms and causes of getting low eyes when you’re high on weed. We’ll also provide you with several options on what you can do about it to help you out.
Symptoms of Ptosis and Drooping Eyelids
If you don’t know it yet, there’s an eye condition called ptosis. People with ptosis have drooping eyelids – which means their eyelids droop below their normal position. It’s quite a common eyelid problem and it usually starts at birth (in this case, it’s more like a case of poor muscle development on the eyelids). Ptosis can also manifest later in life and can also worsen as a person gets older (which is why a lot of old people have drooping eyelids). Another possible cause of ptosis could be injuries (e.g. accidents that stretch the eyelid muscles and thereby cause damage).
When you have ptosis, you may experience that weak muscle feeling on your eyelids – and this will cause your eyelids to droop beyond your control. It could happen to both of your eyes or just one eye (most people report having this problem with only their left eyes).
According to some reports, getting low/droopy eyelids can happen suddenly – which may alarm you. In other cases, it can happen gradually, and some people report experiencing it after smoking marijuana. The condition can also worsen for regular weed users – in such a way that the condition becomes a permanent problem (yes, the droopy eyelids syndrome could stay even on days when you’re not smoking a joint).
Needless to say, it would be hard to see clearly (and focus) when your eyes are closing beyond your control – not to mention how weird it looks (especially for those who are not marijuana smokers). So again, why? Why do your eyes get low (and droopy) when you’re high?
Possible Causes of Droopy Eyelids
Can smoking cannabis cause or worsen ptosis? Before anything else, here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Do you have a family history of ptosis (since this condition is hereditary)?
- Do you experience getting droopy eyelids only when you smoke cannabis?
- Do the symptoms seem to worsen when you regularly smoke weed?
Now, let’s get scientific for a while. You might not realize it but muscles control your eyelids when you blink. Now, since cannabis is a relaxing substance, all your body muscles (including your eyelid muscles) will relax. This could result in your eyelids feeling heavy and droopy. Or if you already have a case of ptosis, it can worsen the condition and make your droopy eyelids even more prominent.
Actually, the few studies on the relationship between cannabis and getting droopy eyelids reveal that this is quite a common side effect of smoking weed. In fact, consuming cannabis could not only possibly induce ptosis but eyelid tremors as well. So perhaps there really is a connection between weed consumption and having low eyes.
What to Do When You Get Low Eyes From Smoking Cannabis
Even if there are no concrete evidences that marijuana consumption can indeed induce ptosis, there seem to be enough testimonies that this can exacerbate the condition if it’s already there to begin with. Below are some of the options you can consider in order to address this problem.
1. Get an eye surgery – Eye surgery is a common option for ptosis sufferers (if the condition is permanent and severe).
2. Just live with it – Yes, if you can tolerate the condition (especially if it just comes and goes) you can opt to do nothing. There are reports that ptosis can actually heal on its own, especially if it’s not inborn.
3. Get a muscle elevator surgery – This is another type of eyelid surgery which can solve the problem of permanent droopy eyelids. However, if you’re going to consider this option, know that there’s a chance that you won’t be able to fully close your eyes (you will be dependent on eye drops to keep your eyes moistened).
4. Go for weaker strains of cannabis or maintain a low dose – Indica strains are known for their relaxing properties, so you might want to switch to Sativa strains just so you won’t have to totally give up marijuana. Staying on a low dose of cannabis might also help in keeping the side effects (of droopy eyelids) under control.
5. Just avoid smoking cannabis – This can be quite a drastic option, but it’s still worth considering if you want to avoid the side effects of living with droopy eyelids. So, you can either reduce your consumption of weed or quit it altogether.
Why Do Your Eyes Get Low When You Smoke Weed and What Can You Do About it?
We did give you a lot of options in this post on what you can do with droopy eyelids as a side effect of smoking marijuana. Still, our number one recommendation is for you to consult a doctor so that your condition can be fully diagnosed (and treated). We also suggest confiding your cannabis history with your doctor as that will help a lot in determining the cause of your drooping eyelids (along with other tests).
You can also try to observe your symptoms and try decreasing (or stopping) your cannabis consumption. It could work, you know, and that alone might solve your ptosis condition. Of course, only you can decide for yourself if it’s worth giving up your love for marijuana.
Hopefully, more studies will be conducted on the relationship between cannabis consumption and having droopy eyelids. Then not only would we be able to understand why eyes get low when weed is smoked, but also discover many effective ways to treat the condition. Until then, you can choose to play safe by controlling/minimizing your marijuana consumption or simply accept the risks involved.
