While we are on the subject of eyes….
I spent a lot of time staring into my son’s eyes when he was born, and that’s how I noticed his left pupil was bigger than his right pupil. In dim light, the left pupil was more dilated. In outside light, there was no difference between them. I wasn’t really alarmed, until I mentioned it to my doctor, who said he should see a pediatric ophthalmologist, just to rule out a “growth.” Um, what? Did you just say my baby might have a brain tumor?
We had to wait a month for the appointment. But it wasn’t a growth; it was a normal variant. My son has physiologic anisocoria, which basically means one pupil is bigger, it’s genetic, and it’s no big deal. Apparently this affects tons of people. I’ve read ten percent and even twenty percent estimates. But I had never, ever met anyone who had one larger pupil. Or so I thought.
The day I took my son to the ophthalmologist, I came home and was telling my husband about anisocoria, and we were sitting in the dim light of our living room. I have known my husband since we were in college, but for the very first time in a couple decades, I noticed that his left pupil is larger than his right pupil. The proof is in the photo above.
Genetics, man.
Ed Said,
October 23, 2009 @ 10:39 am
Me too! Funny thing is that my last ophthalmologist appointment was the first time it’s been pointed out to me, and I’m in my mid-30s. Of course I had to check with my wife that it wasn’t recent, and she pointed out “You told me it’s been that way since you were a kid.” Oh, yeah….
chanson Said,
October 23, 2009 @ 5:14 pm
I think that my husband has one iris that is larger than the other…
Jodi Said,
October 28, 2009 @ 6:17 pm
Wow! Never heard of that condition, but it’s good you got it checked out.