1. Community
  2. Eyes
  3. Eye Problems

One pupil is more Dilated than the other, is that normal

Posted , 4 users are following.

sara959595
sara959595

 I’ve noticed over the last month or so, that  my right eye is often dilated more than the left.  This isn’t the case all day, when I look in the mirror and there’s light, both of my eyes do the same thing but if I’m sitting in one space for an extended period of time and a light doesn’t change my right one is bigger than my left. Is this normal? 

 Is there a way for me to upload a picture?

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest sara959595

    Posted

    You have to select the option "Request desktop site" in your browser options (if you are viewing this site from a mobile device). Then reload the page and four icons will be displayed at the top right corner, above the text input field. Select the one to the right (showing a mountain and a sun). It will allow you to select a pic. (It has to be below 2Mb in size).

  • Alice987
    Alice987 sara959595

    Posted

    Have someone else look at your eyes because your pupils will get small when your focus on your eyes. It's called an APD which isn't a good thing if it's true. Do a seining light test get a really bright light have someone shine it from one eye to the other while your focus on the distance in a darkened room. If one of your pupils get bigger when the light shines in it like it suppose to,Go see a opthomologist

    • sara959595
      sara959595 Alice987

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply! 

      I’ve had three eye exams. The first one they dialated them. The second and third the doctor did all the normal testing. Dark room, bright light in each eye while looking into the distance. They said everything looked normal. Nerves looked healthy and no concerns. 

      However, I’m still concerned. Ya definitely bigger, much bigger? No. When I look up “one pupil is bigger than the other” it shows a pupil much, much bigger. Mine is slightly bigger. Sometimes it feels like that eye is just seeing a tad bit different. As if it’s allowing more light to come in? 

      It’s a weird feeling. I’ve been terrified that I have a brain Tumor for the last 3 months.

      I’ve been to a neurologist as well. I just wish I never noticed it! 

    • janet23072
      janet23072 sara959595

      Posted

      Sara,

      This sounds like it could be what is called Adie’s pupil, a neurological condition with many, many different causes. Abt 4 years ago, my 47 year old sister out of the blue developed this same phenomenon along with frequent headaches. Like you, she had several eye exams without any real answers. Fortunately, because of the headaches, her internist decided to send her for a CT of the brain “just to be sure” that there wasn’t anything serious being overlooked. As it turned out, she had a cerebral aneurysm compressing one of the cranial nerves, resulting in a cranial nerve palsy which caused the eye dilation.  She of course had the aneurysm (successfully!) surgically repaired. We are thankful for that Adie’s pupil because it was a “symptom” of a significant problem that ended up saving her life!

      Certainly, I am [u]not[/u] suggesting that you have an aneurysm or a neurological condition and I do not mean to scare you. My only intent is to encourage you to seek definitive answers, especially as you mention that this is a new development for you.

      Please keep us updated!

    • sara959595
      sara959595 janet23072

      Posted

      Thank you for replying! 

      I’m so glad that your sister was able to get answers before it turned into a really bad situation. 

      Do you recall how much bigger that one pupil was? I’m still trying to figure out how to upload a picture on here. 

      So hard to pin point my headaches, due to this cold weather I’ve had a lovely cold for the last two months, so I’m sure my headaches are linked to that. 

      I did go back through my photos, and was able to find a couple where I could see that this pupil has always been bigger. I also noticed that my almost 3 year old, he also has one pupil which is bigger. So strange. I will be calling his doctor tomorrow! 

      I’m lost on where to go next. I’ve seen my regular doctor, ER doctor, eye doctor, & a neurologist. All day that I’m fine. I have pretty bad anxiety, so this has really put a a lot of stress on me over the last few months. 

  • janet23072
    janet23072 sara959595

    Posted

    I remember that her pupil was noticeably larger than the other when consciously looking at it.  I probably would not have noticed it otherwise had she not mentioned it to me.  She noticed it when applying her eye make-up.  It was certainly nothing like the some of the dramatic images online.

    i will say that in my professional experience, it is not uncommon for people to have subtle and minor differences in the size of their pupils.  But such traits have been lifelong and typically something that they are aware of.  (I am not registered as a healthcare professional, however work as a CVICU nurse in a postop setting—I spend my day assessing pupils bc of the risk of stroke in our patient population.)

    It is of course very possible that you have had the pupillary variation your entire life, especially since you also notice this trait in your child.  On the other hand, a CT scan of your head to rule out serious concerns is not unreasonable if the pupillary change is new, especially if accompanied by other symptoms.  This is in no way medical advice, but just something to think about,

    • sara959595
      sara959595 janet23072

      Posted

      Good Morning, 

      Thanks again for replying! I hate to bombard you with questions, but you’ve been very helpful. 

      Do you recall if your sisters pupil was ALWAYS bigger than the other one? Did it respond normally to bright light & dark rooms? 

      My pupil responds normally to light, gets very small, but as it adjust to lightening, just like the left one, it starts getting bigger, and while my left one stops at the “normal” size, my right one grows a bit more. 

      I dug deep into pictures yesterday and could only find a few pictures that were close enough to get a look at my pupils, I found one from 2012, which my pupil looks a bit bigger. I also found one from 7.2016 and it looks like it does now. Of course, this isn’t relieving my worrie at all, but it makes me wonder if it’s something that I’ve always had. 

      You said your sister had headaches, were there any of symptoms?

      Thanks again for your help! 

  • janet23072
    janet23072 sara959595

    Posted

    Hello-

    Glad I can be of some help!

    Aside from the headaches (most likely due to the pupillary dilation), she had no other symptoms.  I recall that her pupil would react normally to light/dark, but even in doing so, it remained larger than the other—it did not normalize in these conditions. After surgery however, her pupil did return to normal and both are now equal. The mechanical stress/pressure on the nerve did not allow the pupil to dilate or constrict appropriately, but was once relieved, the pupillary muscle was able to respond normally.  

    Good of luck to you—the uncertainty and “not knowing” can be so stressful!

    • sara959595
      sara959595 janet23072

      Posted

      That makes me feel a tad bit better. Mine will match the othe pupil when going in and out of light. However, once they are use to the light, it was continue to grow a little 

      I have scheduled an appointment with a Nero  ophthalmologist. Not until the 24th, hate hate hate waiting. It’s a 3-4 your appointment, Lots of testing. 

      Do you know how to go to the desk top verison? I’d like to upload a picture but I can’t seem to find where to switch. 

  • megan_16036
    megan_16036 sara959595

    Posted

    Hi Sara, I’m 18 and I’ve started to notice my pupil a tiny bit bigger than the other one it reacts normally to light and I don’t get headaches or sensitivity in it I’ve had it all my life I’ve never got a CT scan or anything , I’m just wondering if you ever got the cause of it? If I had anything wrong in my brain I’d know by now as I have it most of my life. 
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.