During a comprehensive eye exam, your optometrist will thoroughly assess your eyes and vision, taking special care to examine your pupils. Did you know that the health of your pupils can provide a lot of information about your overall state of health?
What Are the Pupils?
Your pupils are the black, round balls in the center of your eyes. They serve as the entryway for light rays coming into your eyes. Your pupils are where the process of vision begins. The size of your pupils can range from 2 to 8 millimeters depending on various circumstances.
Younger people tend to have bigger pupils than older people. If you’re in a dimly lit room, your pupils will dilate to allow more light to enter your eyes. They will then constrict if you enter a brighter area.
What Does a Change in Pupil Size Mean?
While your pupils change size all the time due to the level of brightness in your surroundings, they should change size together. In other words, both pupils should always be the same size as the other, and if this isn’t the case, there could be a serious problem requiring a visit to the optometrist. Nerve problems or infection can cause one of your pupils to become bigger than the other, a condition called anisocoria.
One of your pupils could also become bigger and the other smaller after sustaining a concussion. A change in your pupil size may also occur when you have cluster headaches.
Horner’s syndrome is another condition that can affect pupil size. This condition happens when the nerve pathways that run from your brain to your face become damaged due to a tumor, trauma or stroke, among other reasons. It could also occur when the blood vessels that carry oxygen to your brain and face are injured.
For more information on the relationship between your pupil size and your health, speak to an experienced optometrist by calling (425) 771-8472 for Alderwood Optical or (425) 485-0430 for Canyon Park Vision Clinic. You can also complete our form to schedule a visit. We serve Bothell, Lynnwood and Shoreline, WA.