Large Pupils?

[Guest veryblue]

Does anyone else here get large pupils sometimes? My pupils have been huge all my life...yeah I was one of those big eyed kids...anyway I dont know if I'm just freaking out or not but I think mine are getting larger. Does anyone else notice this at all?

[Deb]

Sorry, but that's a new one. I know that there is some connection between the autonomic nervous system and the eyes, but I can't remember now what it was. I don't think you're freaking out. I think it is probably normal to wonder. Try not to worry too much about it, and ask your doctor about it. I certainly know how you feel though. I am sooooooo afraid of fainting again that it sort of runs my life if I don't keep a handle on my fear. I HATE always worrying about my health.

[MomtoGiuliana]

I know, when we aren't well it is natural to have concern about anything that seems out of the ordinary. Yes, I have always had large pupils--and sometimes I feel that my pupils are slow to adjust to changes in light. I don't know if this is related to POTS/autonomic dysfunction or not--perhaps it is. Try not to worry about it. Do you see an eye doctor? Your eye doctor can probably respond to your concerns, but it's likely a benign state.

Women used to use belladonna to make their pupils enlarge, as large pupils were coveted and considered a sign of beauty. So, perhaps see it as a beauty mark?

Again, try not to worry about it too much. At the same time, ask your doctor, if you are concerned, and especially if you are noticing any vision changes.

[leah1321]

yes, the ANS affects pupil dilation. if one is bigger than the other or does not react appropriately to light, it is a sign of ANS dysfunction. some people just have large pupils for no reason and sometimes this is a sign of dysautonomia. eye docs never look for this. when i am bad, my left pupil dilates and becomes sluggish. a neuro-opthamologist saw this and thought it was 'curious.' my mom and i did a search with my symptoms including the eye thing and found dysautonomia. we ignored this and were amazed when i got this diagnosis almost 2 years later! it is a benign symptom and should not cause any discomfort. if it does, see a doc. (slight blurriness is not unusual).