Anisocoria, or different pupil sizes, can be normal or indicate serious conditions. Horner’s syndrome, Adie pupil, head injuries, and nerve damage can cause anisocoria. Seeing an eye doctor is recommended for diagnosis and treatment.
When the pupil size in the eye is different and one is smaller or larger than the other, the medical term for this is anisocoria. The condition isn’t necessarily indicative of anything wrong, and it’s actually quite common for people to have a perceptible but slight difference in pupil size. On the other hand, anisocoria can indicate some very serious conditions and it is recommended that people see an ophthalmologist if this symptom is suddenly noticed.
As stated earlier, there are several reasons for pupil size variations. Sometimes these are serious. Horner’s syndrome, which can occur as a congenital disorder, from injuries to the neck or from the presence of tumors or other diseases, can be diagnosed by the appearance of the eye. A very small pupil, a droopy eye, and a bloodshot eye could be indicative of this condition. How quickly Horner’s disease heals varies and depends on the cause, but if treated, the pupils may return to a similar size.
A large pupil that doesn’t dilate in light suggests other diseases. Sometimes people have this reaction when they use certain forms of eye medications or if they are exposed to different types of chemicals. Pupil size may normalize after exposure ends. Another interesting condition that causes a pupil to not react to light is called Adie pupil and its origins are unknown although the condition can improve over time.
Anisocoria doesn’t necessarily mean benign things, particularly if it occurs in association with a head injury. A pupil’s inability to respond to light can sometimes mean bleeding into the brain. This could occur due to blunt force trauma or if an aneurysm burst suddenly. Other things that could cause this symptom are strokes or nerve damage. Several palsies or palsies that affect the optic nerves could also result in anisocoria.
Given the range of potential causes, pupils of different sizes are a medically sound basis for seeing the eye doctor. The doctor can do a complete examination and one thing that needs to be determined is which eye is actually affected. Once they determine that a pupil is smaller or larger, eye doctors can begin to inquire about behaviors or other symptoms that may indicate a reason. Some conditions like acquired Horner syndrome or suspected head trauma might mean your doctor needs to call in other specialists to help narrow down the cause.
In many circumstances, differences in pupil size go untreated, but underlying conditions may need immediate attention. It is difficult to discuss a single anisocoria treatment since the things that might evoke its appearance are so variable. Therefore, people can expect that treatment will be highly individualized and depend on any underlying circumstances.
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