One Eye Bigger Than the Other


In modern culture, appearance is extremely important. Every advertisement seems to tell you that you need to lose weight, buy the right makeup or start a fitness plan to look your best. In this type of environment, it is easy to over-analyze the way you look. Some people even start to wonder if one eye is bigger than the other. While this could be just due to an optical illusion, there are actually reasons why you could actually have one eye that is bigger than the other.

One Eye Bigger Than the Other

There are many different reasons why you may have one eye bigger than the other. We will cover some of the most common reasons.

1. Grave’s Disease

Grave’s disease happens when you have an overactive thyroid. If hypothyroid is like driving a car with the brakes on uphill, hyperthyroid is like going down a mountain without any breaks at 100 mph. If you have Grave’s disease, a number of symptoms can develop. Other than the more common symptoms, you can also develop watering, redness, soreness and a gritty feeling around your eyes. Your eyes may also become swollen. The swelling can make it seem like one eye is bigger than the other.

Your first step in treating this is to go to your doctor. Your doctor needs to treat your overactive thyroid to prevent complications from Grave’s disease. You can also use eye ointments and eye drops to help your eyes. Some people also find that using eye pads at night helps.

2. Amblyopia

This medical condition happens during early childhood. It occurs when the child’s vision does not develop normally. When someone has amblyopia, their eyes do not always move in the same direction at the same time. One eye may move inward while the other eye moves outward. This can lead to a vision impairment and make one eye appear bigger than the other.

If this condition is allowed to progress, it can lead to severe side effects such as complete blindness. If you notice a “lazy” or “wandering” eye in your child, make sure to take him or her to an ophthalmologist to get checked out right away.

3. Natural Asymmetry

To be honest, this is not really a medical condition. Some people are just born with one eye more narrow, smaller or more rounded than the other. If this is just naturally how your eyes look, then there is nothing to worry about. Your eyes may also seem asymmetrical if you are tired or dehydrated—both problems can be easily fixed by drinking more water and getting rest.

If your eyes are just always asymmetrical, there are also makeup techniques that can help. Use heavier eyeliner on the smaller eye to make it seem fuller. A golden or pal eye shadow can be used around the eyes with a highlighter on the corners of the eyes. Mascara can also be used to lengthen your lashes and make your eye look bigger.

4. Exophthalmos

This condition is a descriptor for when one or both eyes seems to bulge. It can be caused by medical conditions like a tumor behind the eyes or a hyperactive thyroid. It is treated by finding the underlying cause and treating that medical condition.

5. Anisocoria

Sometimes, your eyes are perfectly normal in size. It only seems like one is bigger than the other because of an optical illusion caused by your pupils. Sometimes, someone is born with pupils that have a 0.5 to 1 mm difference in their size. Known as anisocoria, this condition is generally caused by some type of nerve, blood vessel, eye or brain disorder.

As long as you do not have any other symptoms, this may be nothing to worry about. One pupil may be slightly larger temporarily before it naturally fixes itself. If you have any other symptoms though, make sure to go to your doctor right away. You need to seek immediate medical care if you suffer from symptoms like a headache, a head injury, nausea, vision changes, vomiting or a fever.

6. Droopy Eyelids

Medically, a droopy eyelid is known as ptosis. This condition may just occur naturally, or it could be caused by another medical condition. Some of the conditions that can cause a droopy eyelid include an autoimmune condition called myasthenia gravis, an allergic reaction, never problems, an eye infection or migraines. While a droopy eyelid may happen due to aging, it could also be something that you have had since birth.

The only time you need to treat a droopy eyelid is if it caused by another medical condition or has other conditions. You may also need medical condition if the droopy eyelid is causing a vision impairment or seems to be getting progressively worse.

7. Strabismus

This is the medical term for crossed eyes. Crossed eyes are more common in babies or children, but they can also happen in adults. Crossed eyes is the term for when you cannot align your eyes in the same direction. One eye seems to move in a different direction than the other eye. The condition may happen all the time, or it may happen at random. You could also experience other symptoms like impaired vision, double vision or decreased vision.

There are many ways that you can try to treat this condition. Visual exercises or wearing an eye patch over one eye may help. Some people also try using glasses or eye drops. If it bothers you, there are also surgeries that can correct this medical condition.


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