If you notice dilated pupils after you've started taking one of the medications noted above, call your prescribing doctor for advice. The same is true if you experience sudden dizziness, headache, confusion, balance problems or other symptoms of a possible stroke. If you or someone else notices you have dilated pupils or one of your pupils looks larger than the other after head trauma, seek medical attention immediately. The study authors concluded the reason for this is unclear and that further research is warranted. One recent study showed that the pupils of male subjects dilated when they viewed images of women they found sexually attractive, whereas the pupils of female subjects typically dilated in response to images of attractive men and women alike. It's true - researchers have found that pupil dilation appears to correspond to adult men and women's sexual interest in other adults. READ NEXT: What is a blown pupil? Sexual attraction This is a rare condition where a person is born with a partially or completely absent iris, resulting in a very large 'pupil.' Aniridia usually affects both eyes and is accompanied by other serious eye problems such as congenital cataracts, glaucoma, incomplete development of the retina and optic nerve, nystagmus, and decreased visual acuity.īecause there is little or no iris to regulate the amount of light entering the eye, people with aniridia are very sensitive to light. There's no cure for Adie's pupil or Adie's syndrome. Generally, the cause of Adie's tonic pupil is unknown but in some cases, it may be associated with trauma, surgery, poor blood circulation or infection. When this occurs, the condition is called Adie's syndrome. This pupil abnormality may be accompanied by poor or absent tendon reflexes. Sometimes, the pupil does not constrict at all. Adie's pupilĪlso called Adie's tonic pupil or tonic pupil, this is a rare neurological disorder where one pupil is larger than normal and is slow to react to light. The condition resolves and the pupil returns to normal size and function without treatment. In one study, the median duration of the episodes was 12 hours (some lasted much longer) and the median frequency was two to three episodes per month. Young women who are prone to migraine appear to have the highest risk of benign episodic unilateral mydriasis. This is an unusual but harmless condition where a person experiences sporadic episodes of one pupil suddenly becoming dilated, often accompanied by blurry vision, headache and eye pain.

SEE RELATED: Eye dilation FAQs Benign episodic unilateral mydriasis This slows your eyes' ability to react to light. However, the substances themselves do not cause your pupils to dilate.Ī number of illegal drugs, however, do directly cause dilated pupils. This effect can last two hours or longer after drug ingestion. Research has shown that alcohol and marijuana - separately or in combination - can reduce your eyes' ability to recover from exposure to a bright light source (such as oncoming headlights at night) and adapt to changing light conditions.

This is why you see physicians checking an athlete's pupils with a penlight following head trauma sustained during sporting events, or when a patient arrives at a hospital emergency department with other possible stroke symptoms. Brain injury or diseaseĪ head injury, stroke or brain tumor can affect how your pupils react to light and cause dilated pupils. Sometimes, this sort of injury can occur during an eye surgery, such as a complicated cataract surgery or a corneal transplant. READ NEXT: Floppy Iris Syndrome Eye injuryĪ serious, penetrating eye injury can damage your iris and cause the pupil to become dilated and irregular in shape.

The following prescription and non-prescription medicines can cause your pupils to dilate and affect their ability to react to light:īotox and other medications containing botulinum toxinĪtropine (used for myopia control and other medical purposes) The most common dilated pupil causes include: Medications If one pupil is noticeably larger than the other, you may have something called anisocoria. Your pupils should also dilate symmetrically. However, if your eyes are fully dilated even in a bright environment or if your eyes don't seem to be dilating as they should, it's time to get your eyes checked. It's normal for your pupils to dilate more the darker your surroundings. If you've noticed your eyes are unusually dilated (larger) or one eye is dilated more than the other, call an eye doctor!

Pupil size chart normal