Pupil Dilation – What’s the Purpose?

When an eye doctor in Miami Beach is examining a patient’s eyes, they are likely going to dilate them so they can see the inner portion of the eye better than normal. However, the pupil naturally dilates itself multiple times every single day. In fact, a person’s pupil can dilate and contract several times in a single minute. When the pupil is enlarged, it allows more light to enter the eye, which allows people to see better in low-light situations. When it’s bright outside, the pupil will automatically shrink in size. This is to stop too much light from entering the eyes and damaging the retina– the light sensitive portion of the eye. This is the natural reason people’s eyes dilate, but a Miami eye doctor also sees pupils that change size for other reasons.

What Causes Pupils To Dilate?

There are many reasons why the pupil would become dilated. Observing the pupil is one way that a doctor in Miami Beach can gather more information about a patient’s current state of health.

● When a doctor shines a light into someone’s eyes, they are looking for a reaction in the pupil. A light should cause the pupil to automatically contract, or get smaller. If this doesn’t happen, it indicates a health issue.

● Drugs and other substances can also cause people to experience dilated pupils. There are many known substances which can cause a person to experience unnaturally dilated pupils, prescription and otherwise. This can be dangerous as the dilation can still expose a person’s eye to too much light.

● The actual reason the pupil dilates is because tiny muscles inside the eye control the iris, or colored portion of the eye. When it appears that the pupil is enlarging, it’s really the iris getting smaller to allow the pupil more light.

Is Pupil Dilation Anything to be Concerned About?

In most cases, a Miami optometrist will examine a patient and find that they have normally functioning pupil responses. However, people who have pupils which don’t respond to light normally need to take this issue seriously. Someone with pupils that don’t respond to light normally is risking their eyesight every day they go outside without protection. If light scars the retina, it can result in a buildup of scar tissue that may cause someone to become blind or partially blind. However, people who have pupils that won’t dilate naturally can normally figure out why it’s happening by speaking with their primary care and eye doctors.

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