National Certified Addiction Counselor Level 2 Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive Prep Tool

Mydriatics are a class of drugs specifically designed to dilate the pupils of the eyes. They work by inhibiting the muscles controlling the size of the pupils, leading to a wider opening. This effect is often used in medical settings, such as during eye examinations, to allow doctors to get a better view of the retina and other internal structures of the eye.

While some stimulants can also cause dilated pupils as a side effect due to increased sympathetic nervous system activity, mydriatics are explicitly formulated to achieve this effect. Opioids, on the other hand, typically cause constricted pupils, known as miosis. Antidepressants may also have side effects that can affect pupil size, but they do not primarily function to induce dilation. Thus, mydriatics are the most accurate answer to the question regarding drugs that cause dilated pupils.