{"id":19821,"date":"2021-10-28T07:25:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-28T07:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=19821"},"modified":"2021-10-28T07:25:00","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T07:25:00","slug":"conditions-that-affect-the-pupil","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/conditions-that-affect-the-pupil\/","title":{"rendered":"Conditions that Affect the Pupil"},"content":{"rendered":"

Up to 20% of healthy people have pupils that are different sizes – some are normal but others are signs of a serious health issue.<\/b><\/h2>\n

The pupil is the dark-colored and circular opening in the center of your eye, that is surrounded by the iris, the colored part of the eye.<\/p>\n

The function of the pupil is to control the amount of light that is let into the eye.<\/p>\n

Is the size of my pupils important?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Yes.<\/b><\/p>\n

Pupils that are unequal, one is larger than the other, can be a sign that something is wrong in the brain<\/b>.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The size of your pupils and how they react to light can help in the diagnosis of certain medical conditions. For example, if you’ve been hit in the head and one or both of your pupils are dilated (larger than normal), it can indicate a serious brain injury.<\/p>\n

A \u2018swinging light test\u2019 can also be used by your doctor to see if both your pupils react to light in the same way. The doctor may use pharmaceutical eye drops to dilate your pupils and make it easier to see into your eyes, which might show this condition.<\/p>\n

Conditions that affect the pupils<\/b><\/h2>\n

There are several conditions that can affect your pupil size:<\/p>\n

1. Anisocoria<\/b><\/h2>\n

Anisocoria<\/a> is an umbrella term used when one pupil is larger than the other.<\/p>\n

Different pupil sizes affect about 1 in every 5 people.<\/b><\/p>\n

If you don’t have any other symptoms, you can try to figure out when it happened by comparing the size of your pupils to previous images of yourself.<\/p>\n

If anisocoria appears out of nowhere or the size of your two pupils suddenly differs for no apparent reason, it could be an indication of a bigger problem.<\/p>\n

2. Third cranial nerve palsy<\/b><\/h2>\n

Third cranial nerve palsy<\/a> is a potentially dangerous condition that causes the pupil to dilate due to an aneurysm or hemorrhage that exerts pressure on one of the ocular nerves.<\/p>\n

If you have a change in pupil size, with a headache or double vision, it could be an indication of an aneurysm, which is a weak spot in the blood vessel\u2019s wall.<\/b><\/p>\n

Aneurysms can cause a great deal of damage if it expands, ruptures or leaks blood into the space around your brain.<\/p>\n

3. Adie syndrome<\/b><\/h2>\n

Adie syndrome, also known as Holmes-Adie syndrome (HAS), it causes one pupil to be larger than the other and slow to react to light. The reason is frequently unknown, however it can occur following an accident or a lack of blood flow.<\/p>\n

If you notice any sudden change in the size of your pupils, see an eye doctor near you right away.<\/b><\/p>\n

SEE RELATED:<\/strong> 9 Ways Your Eyes are a Window to Your Health<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t

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