![]() Lastly, those with Horner syndrome may have miosis in one eye, as well as a drooping eyelid, and an inability to sweat on the affected side of the face. Luckily, your eyes can be a good sign that you may need to seek treatment. decreased memory, loss of motor function, etc.) so it might be hard to catch. Exposure to harmful chemicals can cause breathing difficulties, coughing, rapid pulse, vomiting, and excessive saliva, though some side effects may also be cognitive (e.g. As for inflammation of the iris, it’s common to experience light sensitivity, blurry vision and eye pain along with pinpoint pupils. Symptoms related to injuries, trauma and stroke include vision problems such as diplopia or double vision, as well as dizziness, balance problems, and slurred speech. Overdose in opioids and other drugs can produce symptoms like a pale or clammy face, difficulty breathing, nausea or vomiting, purple or blue fingernails, as well as a slow heartbeat. Since pinpoint pupils are also a symptom and not a condition, investigating on accompanying symptoms can help you figure out the root cause of the problem. ![]() What are the symptoms of pinpoint pupils? Other characteristics include severe pain behind or around one eye, but this can sometimes spread to other areas of the face, head and neck. Much like their name, cluster headaches come in groups and last for around 30 to 45 minutes, and can happen as frequently as 8 times a day. This condition can be congenital but also caused by trauma or stroke, and usually affects one side of the face. Horner syndromeĪlso known as Horner-Bernard syndrome or oculosympathetic palsy, Horner syndrome is caused by a problem in the nerve pathway that connects your brainstem to your eyes and face. Any type of poisoning can be deadly, so definitely seek treatment as soon as possible to counter the effects before it’s too late. You can also develop pinpoint pupils from exposure to herbicides, pesticides, and other poisons containing organophosphates. These can be caused by infectious diseases, as well as lung, skin, gastrointestinal and rheumatic conditions. Iritis, or irritation and swelling of the iris, is another condition that can also lead to abnormally small pupils. That being said, it’s important to seek medical attention for any type of head injury as you may not notice side effects from the get-go. Stroke, injury and traumaĪny damage on the eye or brain can cause pinpoint pupils on one or both eyes, which could be a sign of internal problems. Treatments that require miotic drugs like pilocarpine, which is used to treat glaucoma and dry mouth, can also cause miosis, as well as medications for hypertension, particularly clonidine and tetrahydrozoline. The same can also be said for substance abuse such as an overdose of heroin, barbiturates, tobacco, and other drugs. Oftentimes, prescription drugs for pain relief, such as opioids, can cause pinpoint pupils. So, what happens when your pupils are smaller than usual, or stay small even under dim light? Then it may be the result of one of the conditions below. Whereas in a relaxed state, they shrink back to their natural size. For example, when triggered by something that scares or excites you, your pupils get bigger. Lastly, pupils may also shift in size depending on your emotional state. When looking at nearby objects, our pupils involuntary shrink, while zeroing in on a faraway object causes our pupils to dilate. Besides lighting and the natural aging process, there are also other factors that affect pupil size, such as the distance of the object that we’re focusing on. How much the pupil constricts or dilates in response to light will also vary as you age, as studies have shown that pupil size is largest at adolescence, but gradually shrinks throughout adulthood. ![]() To give you a better picture, an adult pupil should measure 2 - 4 mm under bright light, and approximately 4 - 8 mm in low light. On the other hand, the pupils dilate (or get larger) at night time or under low lighting to help us see better in the dark. For instance, when exposed to direct sunlight or any bright light, the pupils constrict (or shrink) to restrict the amount of light that enters. It’s not something that you can consciously control or feel, though you might notice changes in your vision. This is our body’s natural way of regulating the light that enters our eyes throughout the day. How do our pupils normally change size?Īs you may already know, our pupils are intrinsically designed to change in size depending on our surroundings. This is medically known as miosis or myosis, which comes from the Greek word ‘muein’ or ‘to close the eyes’. Pinpoint pupils (AKA small pupils) are exactly what they sound like: pupils that appear abnormally small (or below 2 mm) in normal lighting conditions.
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