Learning About Your Pupil

Eye doctors in Miami are often asked about the pupil and what it really does. The pupil is one of the most important parts of the eye overall; it’s what detects light and passes it on to the rest of the eye, allowing images to be formed. The pupil is very sensitive to light, which is why the= iris around it contracts and expands depending on how bright it is outside. If too much light is able to enter the eye, the retina can become damaged and people can suffer from vision loss. However, this normally doesn’t happen because the functions of the eye are automatic. The pupil appears black because light that enters the eye does not escape. Your Miami eye doctor will be able to explain the functions of the pupil even further.

The Importance of the Pupil

Before light is able to pass through the pupil, it must first be accepted by the cornea. This is the outermost layer of the eye that’s shape determines how light lands on the retina. People who have misshapen corneas are going to suffer from vision problems, which can usually be corrected by eyeglasses in Miami Beach.

● The size of your pupil can change in response to light, but it can also change because of emotions. Fear, anger, pain, and drug influence can all determine the size of the pupil.

● Doctors can tell a lot about a patient based on how their pupil responds to light; it’s an involuntary reflex, so it should function a certain way. An inappropriately acting pupil usually means that there’s a problem with the patient.

● The pupil sometimes shows as red in pictures because the light from the camera is reflecting off of the choroid, which is a portion of the eye that’s rich in blood vessels and appears red.

Detecting Problems From the Pupil

While most people don’t experience problems with the actual pupil of their eye, it can be used by your Miami optometrist to determine other health issues. It is also the window to the interior of the eye, which is why eye doctors will dilate it so they can see into the internal structures of the eye. If the pupil responds inappropriately to a regular stimulus, such as light, it could indicate that a patient has another health problem that needs to be addressed.

photo credit: Childhood via photopin (license)