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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Pupil dilation
        
(Message started by: birdman on Oct 17^th, 2007, 10:13am)

Title: Pupil dilation
Post by birdman on Oct 17^th, 2007, 10:13am

Has anyone noticed anything peculiar about their pupils during cycle? Whatever side my ha's are on, yes they change sides, the pupil is much larger then the pain free side. Thought it was coincidence until recently when my ha's changed side and so did the larger pupil. And I am talking noticably larger. All part of the swelling of vessels? Just throwing it out there.
Tim

Title: Re: Pupil dilation
Post by Guiseppi on Oct 17^th, 2007, 10:31am

It's been discussed several times on the board so I know a lot of people, including me!!!, experience it. As to the cause, I'm not sure if it's neurological or vascular, one of the learned types will be along shortly. ;;D

Guiseppi

Title: Re: Pupil dilation
Post by swimchica623 on Oct 17^th, 2007, 10:48am

I was trying to get a picture of my eye when it was especially red once and that's when I noticed just how dilated my pupil got!!! I have unusually dark eyes so its hard to see my pupils, but I held the camera right up to my eye, forgot to turn the flash off, and since the flash was on it whited out everything in the picture but got an eerie picture of the dilated pupil....I thought it might have been reacting to the flash so I did it again when I was in low cycle and only getting a few hits (chronic) and it wasn't near as dilated, even when exposed to the flash.
Lisa

Title: Re: Pupil dilation
Post by luveemom on Oct 17^th, 2007, 11:12am

Hey Tim,
I have different size pupils. My neuro actually pointed it out to me during my exam recently. I am affected on my right side(eye), and that eye my pupil is smaller. It is always smaller though, not just during a hit. I will have to look next time I am in the middle of a hit to see if it changes...never thought to look...but it is a constant thing, and he really never explained why just noted the difference. Hope this helps a little.
Alicia

Title: Re: Pupil dilation
Post by birdman on Oct 17^th, 2007, 12:23pm

Thanks for the replies! I think it is actually the opposite of dilated. Whatever that term is. My affected side seems enlarged and the unaffected side seems normal. Another wacky trait of a Ch'er I guess!

Title: Re: Pupil dilation
Post by Karla on Oct 18^th, 2007, 6:28am

My neuro told me that is one of the systems of ch and is very common.

Title: Re: Pupil dilation
Post by txbeck on Oct 18^th, 2007, 6:47pm

The pupil on the left (affected side) is contracted for me. This now seems to be true most of the time, more pronounced during a cycle, and unfortunately somewhat obvious because my eyes are green. Just another of the long list of the CH pattern. I can't tell that it has any effect on my vision and both pupils are reactive, though unequal.

Title: Re: Pupil dilation
Post by Annette on Oct 18^th, 2007, 10:30pm

Its due to the autonomic nervous system that gets activated during a CH attack.

If you want to know more about it google pupil size, CH and autonomic nervous system, there are a lot of articles on this.

Title: Re: Pupil dilation
Post by birdman on Oct 19^th, 2007, 11:29am

Thanks Annette, for some reason I find this very interesting.