Is it normal for your pupils to be different sizes

It can also be due to diabetes complications. There are many natural ways a person can help protect and improve their eyesight without the need for corrective glasses. This can include simple…. What causes pupils of different sizes? Medically reviewed by Seunggu Han, M. Is it serious? Types Causes Diagnosis Treatment Outlook Pupils, or the black parts at the center of the eyes, change size to regulate the amount of light entering the eye.

Share on Pinterest Physiological anisocoria is the most common type of anisocoria. Image credit: ThomasBonini, Share on Pinterest With pathological anisocoria, a doctor may recommend a CT scan to rule out dangerous underlying causes.

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When a doctor sees a patient for uneven pupil size, the first concern is to determine whether the unevenness is new or long-standing. If the problem is new, the doctor will then focus on which pupil is responding differently. The examination may involve:. Taking a careful history of symptoms, noting when they started and what other problems may be present. Checking the ability of each pupil to constrict in the presence of bright light and to dilate in the darkness.

Treatment depends on identifying and addressing the underlying problem. While your two pupils will usually be roughly the same size, pupil size overall can fluctuate. Factors that cause your pupils to become bigger or smaller are light or the lack of it , certain medications and disease, and even how mentally interesting or taxing you find something. A variety of factors can influence pupil size, and not all of them have to do with light and distance. Some of these other factors include:.

A concussion is a brain injury that results from the brain smacking against the hard skull during a fall, a hit to the head, or a fast impact involving the whole body. One symptom is bigger-than-normal pupils.

In some cases, one pupil may be bigger and the other smaller asymmetrical. Anisocoria is a condition in which one pupil is wider than other. While it can be a natural occurrence, affecting about 20 percent of people, it can also signal a nerve problem or infection.

This is an intensely painful headache that usually affects one side of the face, directly behind the eye. As the name implies, it occurs in clusters sometimes as many as eight headaches a day , and can then disappear for weeks or months at a time.

Because this type of headache affects nerves in the face, the pupil on the affected side can become abnormally small called miosis during the headaches. This is an inflammation of the iris of the eye that can be caused by infection, trauma, and autoimmune diseases diseases in which your body attacks its own immune system.

According to research in the Emergency Medicine Journal , the pupil is typically smaller than normal. That injury can cause pupils to become smaller. For example, you might experience:. If you notice a difference in size between your pupils, contact your doctor right away. During your appointment, your doctor will examine your eyes and have your vital signs taken.

Depending on your symptoms and medical history, your doctor might order one or more tests to help diagnose the underlying cause of your anisocoria. These tests might include:. If you experienced a head injury before your pupils changed in size, contact or go to the hospital immediately. You might have a serious eye, brain, or neck injury that requires emergency treatment.

For example, if an infection is the cause, your doctor might prescribe antibiotic or antiviral eye drops. If you have an abnormal growth, such as a brain tumor, your doctor might recommend surgery to remove it. Additional options available for treating brain tumors include radiation therapy and chemotherapy to shrink the growth. However, you can take steps to reduce your risk of developing uneven pupils. For example:. If you notice differences in the sizes of your pupils, seek medical attention immediately.