The pupil is the black opening in the middle of the colored part of your eye (iris). The pupil gets bigger or smaller in response to changes in light. Muscles in the iris control the size of the pupil. Pupil issues can suggest certain diseases. Show
OverviewWhat is the pupil of the eye?The pupil of your eye is the black hole in the middle of your iris. Your iris is the colored part of your eye. Muscles in your iris control how big the pupil is. Usually, this happens as a result of how much light is available. This makes the pupil an important part of your vision system. When you’re in bright light, your pupil constricts and gets smaller. When the light is dim, your pupil dilates and gets bigger. The name of this reaction is the pupillary light response. The pupil has protection. The cornea is a clear dome over the eye that covers the pupil and provides protection. Another layer of tissue called the conjunctiva also protects the pupil and the whole eye. FunctionWhat does the pupil do?Your pupil lets light into your eye as the muscles of your iris change its shape. The lens in your eye focuses light that passes through your pupil. Light then goes to the back of your eye and hits your retina. Your retina turns light into electrical signals. Your brain receives these signals and turns them into images. This is how you’re able to see. Two muscles in your iris control how you pupil opens and closes. The iris dilator muscle opens your pupil from the inside out. It sort of looks like a sun with rays extending out from the middle. The iris sphincter is a circular muscle that controls closing your pupil. Nerves that affect the pupil connect to the afferent pathway (the path from your eye to your brain). They also connect to the efferent pathway (the path from your brain to your eye). The pupil also gives aqueous humor a pathway to the front of your eye. Aqueous humor is a fluid that nourishes your eyes. AnatomyWhat does the pupil look like?The pupil looks like a black hole. It looks black because light usually stays inside your eye. One of the few times that you might see light coming back out of your eye is in a photograph. That’s why you might see red-looking eyes in pictures taken with a flash. This is light reflecting off the blood vessels in your eyes. Conditions and DisordersWhat are the common conditions and disorders that affect the pupil?A variation in pupil size can be an issue itself or a symptom of other conditions. Common conditions of the pupil of the eye include: Conditions of pupil size and behavior
Other conditions that affect the pupils
What tests may be done to test the health of the pupil of the eye?An eye care specialist may do tests to tell if your eyes are healthy, including:
What are common treatments for conditions involving your pupils?Treating eye conditions depends on what’s causing them. For instance, if your current medication affects your pupils, a provider may suggest that you stop taking that drug or substitute another medicine. Some conditions may require medication. Often, these may be in the form of eye drops or topical preparations (like ointments that you apply to your skin). Other forms of medications may come in oral form (pills, capsules or liquids). You’ll get some drugs as an injection (a shot) and others through a vein (intravenously or IV). Providers may treat some eye conditions with eye exercises or surgery. CareWhat can I do to take care of my eyes, including my pupils?There are things you can do to keep your eyes healthy. These include:
A note from Cleveland Clinic Your pupils are important parts of your vision system. Problems with your pupils can point a healthcare provider toward a diagnosis of other illnesses. See an eye care specialist as often as they suggest. It’s also good to do what you can to keep yourself and your eyes healthy. Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information
enews More health news + infoWhen a light is shone into a pupil?In the light reflex, the pupils constrict when light is shone on the retina. If one eye only is stimulated, both pupils constrict, the so-called consensual reflex. The afferents are optic nerve fibres which pass to both pretectal nuclei, crossing in the posterior commissure.
When you inspect a patient's pupils with a penlight the pupils should normally react to the light by?You should: open his airway with the jaw-thrust maneuver. When you inspect a patient's pupils with a penlight, the pupils should normally react to the light by: constricting.
What maneuver should be used to open the airway of an unresponsive patient with suspected trauma?To open the airway, place 1 hand on the person's forehead and gently tilt their head back, lifting the tip of the chin using 2 fingers. This moves the tongue away from the back of the throat. Don't push on the floor of the mouth, as this will push the tongue upwards and obstruct the airway.
Which of the following is an example of symptom?Some examples of symptoms are headache, fatigue, nausea, and pain.
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