Traumatic Mydriasis, need help

Hi everyone. I have what seems to be a traumatic mydriasis from blunt trauma to my right eye that happened back in the middle of December.

My history:
Middle of December I took a slapshot to the eye from a rigid PVC hockey ball (wasn't wearing a cage). I immediately lost vision in my right eye. I was rushed to the hospital and determined to have a hyphema. The only thing I could see was light. The next day, the doctors could not get an accurate pressure reading on my eye so they decided to perform an "exploration of the eye" surgery, and found out that I had no tears or ruptures. The day following the surgery, and this is a big part, I was checked out by the doctor and he said when he shined the light into my eyes, my pupil was reacting, so that was a great sign that my nerve was working. I was given Atropine to take 2x daily and Prodnolisone to take 4x daily. I am 25 years old, so you can gauge my healing capacity.

Since then, I was on bedrest for about 2 weeks, staying on the atropine during this time. I was seeing an opthalmologist every few days. The hyphema eventually reabsorbed and I regained vision in my eye. I d/c'd the atropine after 2 weeks of being on it, but stayed on prodnolisone for about another 2 weeks thereafter. About a month after the initial hit, now middle of December, I still had a mydriasis, probably around 8mm when compared to the chart. Bad photophobia, poor visual acuity, everything. I was prescribed Pilocarpine 1% to take 4x daily. Within the first dose of this, my pupil had constricted and I could see much more comfortably. I stayed on this for a week and upon dc'ing the pilocarpine, my pupil had gone back to full size within about 36 hours. I have been off all medication now since that time, seeing my doctor here in a week.

During the course, the doctors all thought I was still under the effects of Atropine, since there did not appear to be any tears in the iris muscle that were noticeable, and that was the best explanation for my very dilated pupil. Now that my entire history has been explained, is it POSSIBLE that since my pupil was reacting to light just 2 days after the surgery, and now doesn't react at all, that the atropine dilated the pupil beyond its normal range of travel and tore a muscle in the iris somewhere? I just don't understand how it was reacting to light initially after the trauma, but now is so unreactive and open. This has been an emotionally taxing ordeal and I'd like to understand where I go from here, or if the atropine may have caused me this permanent state of discomfort with my eye.

Thanks to anyone that can offer assistance, but if not, I hope any searchers with similar issues may be able to benefit from this post.

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

Atropine is very long lasting cycloplegic drop.  You response to pilocarpine indicates that the constricting muscle in your eye is still working.  However the initial trauma may have partially weaken the muscle.  You may have to be on pilocarpine for the near future.  This may recover with time.   Long term this eye has to be followed closely.  In the near future you should have your retina checked for retinal tears and retinal detachment.  Long term you need to be followed for glaucoma.

Dr. O.

[Waterwings]

Dr. O, thank you considerably for taking the time to respond to my issue.  That slightest bit of hope helps alleviate my other problem right now, which is obviously my everyday mood.  In the interest of keeping the initial post short, I did not mention that I had an orbital floor fracture that has been inspected and deemed to not require surgery, as well as close retinal examination since the injury, which has been reported to be in good condition.  Thank you again for the ray of hope.  Any bit helps.

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

I doubt the blow out fracture is a cause of the dilated pupil.

Dr. O.

[bad eyes]

If you'd like a second opinion, the Cincinnatti Eye Institute in Ohio houses some of the best surgeons in the world that deal specifically with pupil function.

[Waterwings]

Thanks, bad eyes.  For right now I'll sit tight and hope for the best, and if it looks like I've lost function I may have to give them a look.

[Waterwings]

As an update to any using this thread as a reference, I have been on Pilocarpine for the last month.  Sometimes I use 0.5%, sometimes I use 1%.  The 1% lasts longer but it also overly constricts my pupil sometimes.  At any rate, it does bring the pupil size down but once it starts to wear off, my pupil gets larger and I have more problems focusing near, and have big problems with bright objects.  Thus, it's important for me to keep the pupil size down.  For some reason, my injured eyes sees colors more vividly than my uninjured eye, even when the pupil is very constricted.  When both pupils are the same size, for some reason my injured eye seems to see bright colors brighter than my uninjured eye, while darker colors it sees darker.  I suspect this to be an effect of the pilocarpine to explain the darker colors.  The brighter colors, so far no doctor has been able to explain to me, since the pupils are the same size and thus should be filtering the same amount of light.

I have read on another thread here that acupuncture has helped another case of traumatic mydriasis.  I am not sure if it will help me, but I am going to try, because they claim that acupuncture realigns the body and helps it heal to its fullest potential, and that's what I am hoping for, to heal.  I have found a local doctor in the area that specializes in acupuncture in the eye area.  I am hoping this will render the best results reasonable.

I am not considered an ideal patient for the iris cerclage suture procedure because my original lens is still clear without cataracts, and performing the surgery would risk damage to the lens, causing a possible cataract.  This procedure seems to be favored when performing  cataract surgery, performing both at the same time.  So as of right now, it's pilocarpine and hoping for the best.  

I would like to inform those reading that the "exploration of the eye" procedure has caused me more problems.  I have excessive redness/bloodshot on one side of my eye where the blood vessels have all come together (looks bad, everyone notices it instead of the pupil), conjunctiva that is no longer bright white, irritated eyes, and problems wearing contacts.  Thi problem cosmetically is more noticeable than my pupil when  it's full.  Everyone notices the red eye.  I understand that this surgery is done to rule out life threatening injuries that could lead to infections, but if I were in any stable state of mind and the doctors didn't just tell me "it'd heal in a day," I would've never agreed to the procedure, since they had actually gotten a pressure reading of 20 through a different means of testing.  My problems now are twofold rather than just dealing with the mydriasis itself.  Anyway, I think readers should know this, and I wish I had, when the doctors had nonchalantly suggested they should perform the surgery.  My eye has been a nightmare to look at since, and honestly a little painful at times.

I know this is not a commonly documented injury due to the limited resources I could find online, so I will be sporadically updating the events that follow.  I only hope that my misfortune and documentation of my recovery will help any of those that find themselves in a similar situation, or prevent some of those from putting themselves at risk for this type of injury.  

[tobyjbrown]

Thanks for taking the time to do this post.  I recently got hit in the eye with a squash ball and have pretty much the same experience that you have outlined above.  I am now about one month on, and still have mydriasis in the injured eye.

This has been the most informative post I have found so far.  Understanding that at this stage the mydriasis is not considered permanent and that there are some treatments available is good news.

Due for my follow-up appointment this week, so I will post again to let you know.

Thanks again.

[tobyjbrown]

been back to the eye doctor today and been given the all clear.  Dispite the pupil still being dilated he has told me that there is no permanent damage expected. They pupil is expected to return to normal in the next few months.  Great news for you.  I was worrying for no reason.

All the best to everyone out there - remember to put the goggles on next time you play!

[Waterwings]

Toby, that sounds like a promising prognosis from the doctor.  Does your pupil have any reactivity to light?  Mine has none, even though they find no damage to the sphincter muscle of the iris.  I think they believe it to be neuronal damage.  

[Waterwings]

Update to any readers.  I have been trying acupuncture for about the past 5 weeks, treatments 2x a week.  This involves needles in my feet, hands, eyebrow, and 3 into my orbit.  My acupuncturist is very experienced with treating eye diseases that require these special placements so although I don't have anything to compare to, he seems to know what he's doing and surprisingly can get the needles around my eye without much pain, sometimes with none at all.  This has so far yielded no results.

I have also tried homeopathic means with a naturopathic doctor, for the past week, using symphytum and arnica.  No results as of yet there, either.

[mydriasis]

I had a similar injury to you. I was hit in the eye with a field hockey stick during another player's back swing. I had a fractured nose, orbital socket, a hyphema which caused total vision loss for several hours and traumatic mydriasis. My pupil was non reactive for several months after the injury and was very large. I was worried that it would never heal but after around 6-7 months it gradually got better to the stage now where is it reacting to light, just not as quickly or effectively as the other pupil. I had ordered a custom made, hand painted lens to reduce the photophobia and to improve the look of my eye. I'm hopeful that it will continue to improve. Good luck- I hope yours begins to improve also.

[Waterwings]

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and respond.  That gives me a great amount of hope. :)  Unfortunately my hyphema led to vision loss for about 3 days so I may have had slightly more trauma within the eyeball itself but I'm glad to hear yours was just as bad and now actually responds to light.  I'll continue to get my healing treatments and hope for the best!

[0ptics]

I was hit in the left eye with a tennis ball towards the end of 2007.  Angle recession, trauamtic mydriasis and retinal scarring occured.  Ophthalmologists told me different things about the scarring and pupil dialation.  Some said the dialation wouldn't be permanent, others said that the scarring would not be permanent.  I have a blind spot from the retinal scar and my pupil has gradually become more responsive to light.  It has not improved completely yet.  I can't remember how long, but for the first while after being hit I had no response to light (maybe a month or two).  I am writing this post because I have decided to pursue knowledge of eye conditions and advance awareness as I  become an optometrist.  I have been researching treatments online for traumatic mydriasis (like you have I'm sure) and have found nothing promising that would bring the muscle functioning back to normal.  When I learn more or find something new I will post it.  Until then, keep your sunglasses on!

[Waterwings]

Just another update everyone, though no real progress to update.  I'm confident to say that the grieving period has come to a close and life is resuming to a new level of "normal."  I'm back to acting like myself and accepting what happened, which honestly is a big part of the healing process.  This entire ordeal has been emotionally exhausting above all else.  Obviously my daily routine has changed with Pilocarpine drops taken about 2-3 times a day at 0.5% strength, which wear off about 3 hours after use, where the pupil start to open back up.  Also, since I've always needed corrected vision, I can no longer wear my contacts for long periods of time because they just get uncomfortable, so I wear glasses most of the time now.  It's harder to get my prescription right in the eye, since the prescription changes with how dilated the pupil is.  I have tried many types of homeopathic treatments, lots of different vitamins, and all other means listed from posts above.  Now I have just come to accept the condition and though I have not lost hope, I feel it's easier to make the best of everyday without taking progessive measures to fix the eye.  I'm out of options, other than surgery.  It's easier on the mind to not get hopes up to be let down everytime, too.

So, to anyone reading this who has recently been hit in the eye and has a mydriasis, get on vitamins asap, and if you're having a tough time dealing with the injury emotionally, consider an SSRI with your doctor just to help out with the situational anxiety or stress.  Being positive helps the body heal better, and just being honest, though I do wish my eye were healed, this isn't that bad.  I've learned to live with it and I'm sure any strong-willed person will be able to, as well.  Mornings are just a little brighter until the drop sets in.  I'll continue adding to this post if anything changes, but until then, take care of yourselves, and wear eye protection.

[nik622]

the same thing happened to me, two weeks ago i was hit in the eye with a woofle ball bat..i had hyphema and was put on the prednisone drops..my right eye which is the injured one is still dilated, im hoping this goes away within time, my doctor said from my checkup the other day things are improving..my pupil still slighty reacts and gets a tad smaller when in the light but not as small as the uninjured one..im thinking about taking those pilocarpine drops, do they work well to make the pupil look smaller or at least somewhat similiar to the other one?

[Waterwings]

Hi Nik.  I'm not a doctor but I will offer my personal opinion in response to your question about Pilocarpine.  I would not even consider starting to take it right now, and I assume your doctor would agree with me.  You risk a detached retina with Pilocarpine and after the trauma that your eye has sustained, it needs time to heal.  If your eye is reacting to light, you have a lot to be thankful for.  The Pilocarpine will essentially paralyze your pupil in a fixed small state, often "overshooting" the effect you're looking for, and becomes much smaller than your other pupil, looking weird.  Pilocarpine is by no means a magic medicine, it just makes the pupil smaller and has many side effects such as headaches, blurred vision, difficulty seeing in the dark, and the dreaded detachment of your retina being obviously the most severe.  So, my personal opinion is to take all your eye vitamins and take care of yourself.  Let your body heal and maybe a couple months down the road if your eye doesn't recover, talk to the doctor about Pilo.

For any others reading, a friend of mine had HIS eye struck with a hockey stick in a game about a month ago.  He had a partial hyphema and an orbital blowout.  He had a slight mydriasis afterward, but his pupil still reacts to light and is only a bit bigger than his uninjured eye, nothing near as bad as mine.  His has improved over just the last month and he's almost back to normal.  Our bodies heal themselves when we take care of them, so don't forget to do that if you find yourself in this situation.  

[nik622]

thankyou so waterwings for telling me there is hope, i have a good feeling it is going to heal im just being positive..its only been two weeks and its already improving i hope you and your friend both get better!

[nik622]

when i had gone to the doctors last week, my doctor said that i had a very small tear in my retina, right away he did a laser surgey to patch it up and since then i barely have floaters..will this by any chance help heal my dilated pupil? also he said that the eye pressure was perfect, great reaction to light and everything else was good, he said about 6 months for it to fully heal i really hope my pupil goes back to normal size esp. i have green eyes so to me i notice it way more, if i have all good signs, is there a good chance i just need more healing time considering its only been about 4 weeks since the incident?

i really appreciate any help or answers i can get from everyone! thanks alot

[Waterwings]

Yeah Nik, I'd listen to your doctor.  I've heard of surgery to re-attach the retina sometimes causing pupil damage, but it sounds like you're fine.  Give the eye time to heal.  It sounds like it will.

[punter77]

Hey Waterwings, I have also had a dilated pupil for coming up to 10 weeks now after blunt trauma from being hit in the eye in indoor cricket by the ball.. I am hopeful of it resolving but was wondering if you have experienced much glare/ photophobia as a result and what I could possibly do to aid this?
Cheers
GP 77

[Waterwings]

Glare and photophobia, I can only assume, come from your increased pupil size, allowing in more light.  As my Pilocarpine wears off and I go outside, any colors that reflect light are difficult to look at and VERY bright.  White cars are the worst.  For me, since I wear glasses, I squint to combat it.  If you don't have corrective lenses on, the only way to combat it, without medical intervention, is sunglasses.  You're still only 10 weeks in so eat healthy and be hopeful, things could come around.  

As an update to my own case, we've been trying for awhile to find a prescription that works best for my injured eye, as the Pilo is causing my prescription needs to change throughout the day.  Just letting individuals know, if you are on Pilocarpine and need corrective lenses, the Pilo may be affecting your range of accomodation and causing problems trying to get a reliable lense.  As an example, when I put my drop in, I am pretty blurry for about the first 1.5 hours.  Midway through the medicine and when my pupil is wide open, I see pretty well.  Anyway, just a word for anyone wondering, the Pilo does cause more unexpected issues for those with higher levels of astigmatism that need corrective lenses.

[punter77]

Thanks a lot for that encouragement and advice waterwings, I think this is one of those situations in life where its best to try and adjust to it and make the most of each day but at the same time hold out hope it will be corrected!
All the best with you're situation!

[buzz305]

Thank you for taking the time to post all this relevant information.  I am on my 8th day of trauma since being hit in the right eye with a racquetball, I've the sport twice a week for 12 years and have been side lined since the hit.  I was diagnosed with a contusion in the back of the eye and since have had traumatic mydriasis. I am a very active 34 yr old male and this so far has been a very frustrating experience.  Especially not being able to read or see the computer screen.  I am still on Atropine 3x day and Prednisolone 4x day.  After the hit I lost vision for about 4 hrs and was able to see foggy the next day.  I am trying to accept what has happened and that it can only get better....the Dr. said the pupil was "vaguely" responding when I saw him last 6 days ago and it is what he said in the ER the day of the injury.  Good luck to all of you that have this annoying condition and if and when I recover my sight I will always wear eye protection, no exceptions.  

[largepupilsworriedsick]

I recently (6 days ago) was hit in the eye by a racquetball. I have been worried sick that my dilated pupil (extremly large) will be permanent due to internet research that was vague and blunt. This site containing others' situations and experiances has been the biggest uplift thus far. I have not been to a doctor as I do not have medical insurance and also suffering financially. I have been diagnosing myself purley on internet research. With all of your posts in mind, I have come to the conclusion "And I thought my eye was messed up??" I now feel I will be fine if I just stay healthy, take vitamins, and give it time. Thank you all sooo much for the advice and hope. It means more to me and Im sure to others more than you know! ( or mabye you do )
Thanks Again!!

[Waterwings]

Hey there and I'm glad you were able to get gain some hope from this thread.  Keep an eye out for flashes of light or what looks like a shade falling over your eye.  These are signs of a detached retina and if they show up, see a retina doctor IMMEDIATELY.  They can normally fix it if caught in time.  I think you're at most risk for this in your first month after the incident.  Otherwise, if you didn't have a hyphema, (and though there's never a substitute for proper medical care), I would expect your doctor to just tell you to give it plenty of rest.  

[Eyehope]

I am also a case of dilated pupil and here is my story:

This happened about 6 months back when I my pupils appeared to be of different sizes when I saw in the mirror. I ignored the situation thinking that maybe light was falling unevenly in both the eyes and also, since, I was also undergoing treatment for convergence insufficiency (CI), thought it might be related it to the CI problem. When I mentioned the situation to the doctor conducting the eye exercises for treating CI, he was quite alarmed, as it was not there before.

I checked on Internet and found that dilated pupil can be caused by trauma, multiple sclerosis, tumor or some brain injury.

Other reasons could be drug abuse, certain medication or eye drops and in these cases the dilation should be temporary.

The dilated pupil affects the near range vision like reading a book, working on computer, etc. as looking at close distance requires pupils to constrict. Since, dilation allows extra light to enter into the eyes, it also causes problems in bright light situations (photophobia) like going out in a sunny day.

My pupil on one eye dilated due to simple eye trauma involving hand hitting the eye. Since, I could not remember the event, the following sequence of events ensued to do initial tests and rule out other serious possibilities.

1. Field Test - I think this tests the range of my sight at different angles.
2. VEP  (Visually Evoked Potential) – I think this was to check the response time of my optical nerve, which sends the light signal to the brain.
3. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) – I think this was to rule out the possibility of tumor in the eye region. To be doubly sure, contrast test was also done, by injecting me during the test.
4.  Next step was to see a neurologist who too could not find any problem.

As all the reports were perfectly fine and as the cause of the problem could not be located, doctor suggested to wait and watch and visit him again after a couple of months.

Recently, I happened to recollect the incident involving eye trauma and went back to the doctor with this new information and he immediately concluded that it is a case of traumatic mydriasis. The doctor recommended an OCT (sonography for the eye), to rule out any other injury within the eye and this test did not show any other problem.

So, now, no other problem has been found other than the fact that my pupil is dilated due to eye trauma which has weakened the muscles (iris) that controls the pupil, the doctor has prescribed me Pilocar 2% which reduces the size of the pupil to a small dot (can be referred to as miosis) but comes back gradually to its earlier dilated state in lets say 15-20 hours time.

Currently, I am not clear if Pilocarpine drops helps to heal or it is for temporary relief. If, it is just for temporary relief, then I would rather not use the medicine as I have got corrective lens to fix the short range problem and use sunglasses when out in the sun.  I was recommended progressive lens but currently using single vision. But that’s another story.

Although, the doctor has not given me much hope of recovery, reading posts here has given me some.

Please note that the above information is provided for the benefit of others and accurate as per my knowledge and understanding.

[Waterwings]

Thanks for adding to the thread, eyehope.  Very informative post.  Yours doesn't seem to be that bad, so let's hope for your recovery.  I would strongly recommend trying lower doses of Pilocarpine.  Given the possibility of the detached retina, I'm just a believer to use as low a dose as is effective.  I was using 1/8 of a percent solution that I had to mix myself that my doctor showed me how to.  Of course every person's iris reacts differently to pilo so you may need a stronger dose, but still I'd recommend trying it.  You'll notice when your pupil gets real small with the 2% dose, your distance vision is poor and the shades of colors will be affected as to what the eye sees, since it's letting in minimal light.  You'll also notice your field of vision may seem smaller, as I felt claustrophobic when I used mine, and could even see my nose using the drops.  Just food for thought, you may want to try a more diluted dose of pilo to achieve more normalcy to the size of your pupil, and be safer as well.

[newvision283]

HI There Guys I had an accident about a month ago with a bungy chord it sprung back and hit my right eye. I did not have time to close it and had a traumatic micro hyphema and a traumatic mydriasis.  Two doctors said the same thing and confirmed that I was one of the lucky ones who had escaped blindness. I thank God I did not get any damage to my retina and holes in my eye which is said to cause blindness. I read here on this post that some of you are taking vitamins and supplements. Please let me know what those are.  I have been off of atropine for about 3 weeks and my pupils still dialated one Doctor says effects could last up to 6 weeks so I am hopeful that my pupil will return to normal.  Please get rid of your bungee chords and tell your friends they are dangerous. Like some of the other posts I found some hope in here as my vision is very blurry and I have photophobia.  Another gentleman here in the post had a similar accident and his vision almost came back to normal this is a great thing and it gives me hope that my vision will come back on my right eye.  Thanks for the posts.

Bern.

[Waterwings]

My acupuncturist prescribed I-Caps to me, that I can buy from almost any pharmacy over the counter, but I got them from Walmart.  

[hurtgolfer]

I was hit in the right eye by a golf ball on October 26 -- more than four weeks ago.  The ball hit a tree 5 or 6 feet in front of another player who hit the ball  and ricocheted directly into my eye.  I lost all sight for a while, my RGP contact was shattered and cut the cornia and I had lacerations on the lid and below the eye requiring 14 stiches.  After an ambulance, emergency room, I was taken to an eye clinic where they said I had a hyphema and was given Atropine and prodnolisone and told to stay quiet for 5 or 6 days and see the Opthmalogist once a day.  

My vision was very cloudy but gradually has recovered over a couple of weeks, but after being off the atropine for almost three weeks, the eye is still very dialated.  From this great thread I learned more about my condition than from anywhere else.  

I am very light sensitive and my near vision with either contacts or my multifocal glasses is not good.

So traumatic mydriasis is my problem now.  The opthamalogist said he did not think it likely that it would get better because the muscles in the iris appear to be damaged.  

I have some hope from reading this thread.  I am not going to ask for pilocarpine until I wait until the holidays, or another month to see if there is any improvement -- but none yet.

Thanks to those who posted

[Waterwings]

Sorry to hear about your injury in a sport I'm pretty sure you didn't expect to be a risk for this type of injury.  Definitely glad that you were able to get the information you needed from this post, and if it gets better, please keep us updated!

[sandlz]

Hi was in an auto accident one month ago...scratched cornea that has healed, dilated pupil and irregular & non responsive and have developed a trauma cateract which has left me with blurry vision.

Should I wait for surgery ...I am scheduled for Jan 11, but after reading this I think it may be too soon to have surgery considering my pupil is still unresponsive.

Any thoughts? anyone with similar situation?
Thanks,
S

[Waterwings]

Hi there.  As with all my posts, my answer is not from a medical background but only given from the research I've gotten and advice from medical professionals.  They say if your iris hasn't recovered in 3 months it's not too likely that it will, and after 6 months you'll have a hard time finding anyone that expects it to recover if it hasn't already.  If your pupil is dilated to an uncomfortable position, your doctor (with your request) may wish to perform a cerclage suture on your iris at the time of your lens replacement for your cataract surgery.  Most doctors will not perform the cerclage suture surgery at any time other than lens replacement for cataract surgery, due to the movements being very difficult to perform without scratching the original lens and causing a cataract, itself.  

So, with that knowledge, what I would personally do is try to make it through another month or two and see if your iris recovers, but your doctor may have a very good reason for the surgery taking place so soon.  Your iris may be ruined or there may be some other reason that he/she needs to get in there sooner rather than later.  If he does, though, make sure you've researched the iris cerclage suture technique for fixing the iris in a fixed state that is more comfortable for you, since that would be the prime time to have it performed, if it's the route you want to take:

http://www.osnsupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=23421

[kpasa]

Hi, Thank you so much for posting info on this.  I thought I was all alone with this problem but now I feel so much better that I'm not.  I have had this since 1988 from a fist from an abusive boyfriend.  They had to do emergency surgery because the pressure in my eye skyrocketed, they removed a blood clot but it has left me with one dilated pupil.  It used to bother me really, really bad because it looks so weird, so I wear a green tricolor contract to match my real green eye and you can hardly tell the difference, And finding out that David Bowie has this from a childhood accident on the playground, so I sing " I've got David Bowie eyes"  (instead of Bette David eyes" and it makes me laugh and feel better.  But I keep searching for a fix, but haven't found one yet, seems like with all the technology, there would be a way to correct it.  I should just be happy that I can see out of it, although it's very blurry.  

[Waterwings]

Did not know David Bowie had this injury too, that's crazy.  I am very self-conscious about my eye, but really, no one ever notices.  A lot of my issues are the functionality and pain in the sunlight, and the fact that i have a LOT of trouble keeping a contact in that eye (still playing hockey).  There are more of us than we probably think, and this thread is one of the few areas that I've found online to suggest that.

[Dreamingdaylight]

Well mine is from having ICL surgery done. It's been 2 weeks and also have been given Pilo to use. I'm also concerned about retna detachment from the use of it.
It causes me to have very blurry vision if I don't use it but I also have other problems from the surgery that is making my vision blurry, so it's like having a double wammy in that eye. Supposedly there is gel still there from the surgery or the lens hasn't totally flatened out that is causing my vision to be blurry.
Doctor said that it is supposed to go down anywhere between now and a year. :( it's hard to live life like this. I can only hope it gets better because I've been depressed for the past 2 weeks bc I can't do anything without it hindering me 24 hours a day.
When I take the pilo it takes my vision away for about 2 1/2 hours since the pupil goes down and it only lasts for a few hours. How cAn anyone live like this? It *****.  

[Waterwings]

Hey there, well you are going through basically what I went through for about a year.  It definitely affected my quality and enjoyment of life, and it certainly still does, every day, but I've learned to embrace it for what it's worth and hold onto hope that later on I'll be able to have some form of surgery.  I was unaware that ICL surgeries could cause this, but don't be too upset just yet.  As long as your iris muscles aren't damaged, your pupil may go down.  Look on the bright side as much as you can.  The better your mood, the better your body can heal itself.  You're right though, it is a pain in the butt, any injury to our eyes.

[nik123778]

I have just got an injury 5 days ago, I was poked in the eye by accident from someone when playing basketball, my left pupil is dilated (not extremely dilated but more than my right) my left eye has 20/30 vision while my right eye has 20/20. These past few days I have been taking Cyclogyl 1% once a day and Tobradex 1% 3 times a day. My doctor said that I should slowly be taking Tobradex less and less over the next month until I finally stop taking it. I have another appointment with the optometrist and retina specialist in one month's time. Today, I overheard my optometrist telling his assistant that my pupil is detached from my iris or something like that. If so, am I going to heal by myself? Is there any treatment options?

[Waterwings]

Hi Nik.  I hope a doctor on here responds to your comment.  My experience seems like it may have been a bit different from yours.  Same things apply though; eat healthy and try to stay as positive as possible.  Put your body in the best state to heal itself.  Hopefully a doctor will chime in with western medicine's take on your condition.

[nik123778]

Thank you for the good wishes. I have been wearing sunglasses around the house. I have also been told to stay away from physical activity because my eye might re-bleed. Anyways, how is your situation going? Did you heal?

[Waterwings]

Nope.  My vision in my injured eye is 20/20 with corrective lenses (which I needed before the injury).  The doctors have not noticed any iris function, although some morning I'll wake up and it will be almost normal size, but still doesn't react to light.  I noticed yesterday during a long trip that in the morning it was pretty dilated, but after a 7 hour trip home and being outside, by the time I got home it had closed to a "normal" size of about 4mm.  So maybe it just reacts to light upon prolonged exposure, and not immediately.  All in all, the pupil is NOT as dilated as it was when it was first injured.  It did go down, but still poses the glare issues that I've just learned to cope with.  Like I said, try to stay positive.  It really seems like it's the best you can do right now.  Try to avoid all things that may cause a re-bleed, like heavy blowing of your nose, strained bowel movements, etc.  

[nik123778]

Well, at least your eye is showing signs of improvement. My stupid injury happened on my last day of school (I am 16). I have planned on doing p90x this summer but I guess I have to postpone it. I have noticed something with my eye over the past few days. My pupil used to be higher up in my iris (almost touching the top) but now it is nearly centered. The size however, has remained relatively the same. I am pretty sure these are signs of healing, it has only been eight days since the incident. Over the last couple of days I have been just sitting on my PS3 playing cod while wearing sunglasses because there's nothing else to do.  

[nick424]

Esp Waterwings, thank you for starting this post.  Just reading this post has helped me with the emotional burden of going through something similar.

I had a home accident 6 days ago when the resistance band I was using snapped back at my right eye (worse, it was the ball/door attachment that hit my eye).  I immediately lost vision on that eye and had wounds around my eye.  After a few hours in the ER I started seeing light and very blurry images, except for an angle above the horizon (somewhere between 10pm and 2am if you base it on a clock's hands).

I had to undergo a CTscan and the ER paged the eye surgeon, who I saw the next day.  He shared that "you made a mess" out of my right eye, that there was some 'bleeding' at the back of my eye, and that I was lucky that my eye 'closed' as the band/ball hit it, otherwise I would have completely lost my right eye.  I don't actually remember seeing him write any diagnosis on my records other than 'blowout f' (I assume blowout fracture), but advised that the eye swelling would improve within 5 days, and that I should be able to do light computer work with my left.  Also when I asked about my vision, he shared that I should 'get most of it back'.  So far that is the only thing that I am clinging onto for hope.  He has prescribed antibiotics 3x a day and prednisolone every 2 hours 6x a day.  Since he was going on vacation he said he would see me in 3 weeks.

Right now my right eye is still bloodshot, there is still little swelling at the lower orbit, the skin around the eye is a bit jaundiced, and my vision is still the same (very blurry, I can only count my fingers, and can't see the 10am-2pm angle).  I plan on getting a second opinion this week, but I am really hoping for the best that I can still recover most if not all of my vision.  I have been really emotionally drained since my accident.

If anyone has any advice or recommendation, I would be glad to hear it.  I will also update my status once in a while in case it helps other readers.

Also, thank you for the I-Caps tip, I will get one tonight and take it religiously.

P.S.  Has anyone been advised against flying while going through this kind of problem?

[Waterwings]

Hi Nick, I was not advised against flying but I didn't ask, either.  I cannot imagine it would be safe, so I'd definitely recommend asking that specific question before traveling.  I'd say give your a couple weeks to see how your progression is going.  After two weeks I had regained vision and after a month I think I had stabilized and had a pretty good idea how things were going.  Best wishes.

[Waterwings]

Hi everyone, I figured I'd post an update for any of those using this thread as guidance.  I have noticed recently that my pupil tends to be smaller much more often than it used to (which was only sporadically, and never seemed to have any reason for getting smaller).  It seems that if I'm exposed to light for an extended period of time, my pupil size does get smaller, not as much as my good eye, but significantly better than before.  I also noticed that if I focus on something up close and close my good eye, in about 10 seconds my iris closes and I can focus up close.  Those with mydriasis may want to try this and see if it works for you.  Cover your good eye, and focus on small print at very close range and see if your lens can accommodate.  You SHOULD see your pupil go down if your iris isn't torn and if your lens can accommodate the close vision.

I am noticing that my vision is getting much more comfortable, and my Retina doctor thinks this is a great recovery, considering if the iris does not regain function after 6 months, it seems most doctors do not expect it to.  So it took over two years, but I'm starting to get function back in my iris, as it slowly reacts to light, and we hope it gets better with more time.  When I had finally given up hope, it started to get better.  So those who get past the 6 month mark with no improvement, don't write yourself off yet.  It may take time, but things could turn for the better.  Best of luck.

[nik123778]

That is great news!  About a month ago I went to see the doctor who told me that I would not heal from my injury. Now, I have noticed that my pupil is reacting to light, but not as good as my (previously it didn't react at all). However, I have also noticed that when I am outside for a prolonged period of time, when I cover my good eye that there is a tint of purple in my vision in the injured eye. I went to see the doctor this morning and he told me that it is probably consequence of the accident. He also told me I won't heal completely but I continue to be optimistic. The way I see it is that if other people can heal from various types of cancers, I am sure that I can recover from an injured eye.

Good luck healing to those who have it.    

[nik123778]

Everyone with mydriasis! I was looking over the other threads on this topic to gain further insight to our mutual problem and I found something that may possibly help make your iris sphincter (the muscle responsible for dilating and making your pupil smaller) regain function. You should have ginger tea once or twice a day and go for a jog for at least 20 mins a day. People on the other thread said that doing these things made their pupil much smaller than before. It appears that Ginger Tea may have some properties that we are unaware about. Best of luck recovering everyone and hope this helps!

[Waterwings]

I am seeing that too now that you've mentioned it, Nik.  I'm going to try that and see what I find.  Thanks for posting that to our thread!

[lishensasha]

Hi,

Due to missed communication I hit my husband on his left eye with a golf club in full front swing. He ended up at the ER with a laceration in the left eyelid and eye inflammation beyond believe. He had surgery for the eyelid and to extract fragments of glass from the sunglasses he was wearing. It's been 9 days of the accident and he is on prednisolone 4X a day for 1 week and then he goes down to 2x a day. Augmentin wich is an antibiotics to prevent infection and that is about it. He is a commercial airline pilot so we are very concerned on how will this impact our life as a family (we have a 2 year old). My husband is 37, healthy and athletic. I asked the ophthalmologist that examined him if his pupil was reacting to light and he said it was but very slowly and only if you kept the light long enough. Do you think there is hope for us? They said his vision without any lenses (he never needed them) is 20/20 and 20/30 on his injured eye. Do you think he can go back to 20/20 after inflammation is over. Do you have any other tips for us.

[flatsy]

hi , i have had a tramatic mydriasis  for over 20 years , and this year had a cataract removed in that eye.since the surgery , i am suffering from extreme glare at night, and now my eye dr. wants to perform the iris cercluge procedure. i am wondering now, if my new lense will be damaged during the procedure.also pupiloplasty was suggested as another possibility. this is a great sight, i just wish i'd found it sooner.

[Waterwings]

Hi there.  It sounds like if your husband's iris is moving, it isn't torn, it's just been weakened.  Based on my experience, it would suggest there's a possibility that he could get much better with respect to the iris movement, but he might not.  I think the fact that it's moving right now is a good thing.  Same for his vision; that may get better too.  20/30 is not bad and after as much trauma just happened to his eye, I'm not surprised there's an issue right now.  Time heals these things.

[Waterwings]

Flatsy, it sounds like you're happy with your new lens.  Do you still have close vision in that eye now or do you need reading glasses?  I heard those lenses would pretty much remove the ability to focus up close, such as reading.  The cerclage suture procedure, from what I've found, is only considered hazardous to original lenses, and could cause cataracts.  The new artificial lenses will not form cataracts if accidentally bumped or scratched during the suture procedure.  Ask your doctor about this, and I would assume he'd say the same risks as far as forming cataracts because of the maneuvers required during the procedure, are no longer a risk with your new lens.

[lrancho]

Waterwings, thank you for creating this site…it has really given me hope and guidance. I have mydriasis due to a rare type of glaucoma attack. 4 months ago my eye was dilated during an eye appointment and the dilation blocked the drainage ducts which caused an extreme buildup of pressure, pushing on my eye to the point that the pupil got stuck. It stayed that way for about a week until the day I had to have emergency surgery. Unfortunately the day the pupil went down, I had surgery and was then required to take atropine for a week, which caused further dilation and mydriasis. I was allowed to take Pilocarpine to try to reduce the pupil but it didn’t do much. After that I went to a hypnotherapist to help me with the visualization of the sphincter muscle closing the pupil and the pupil went down ever so slightly. Enough that my ophthalmologist even noticed. I’ve sort of plateaued but I’m currently trying out acupuncture.

One thing that’s improved for me is the night glare. The stoplights and car lights at night while driving use to be pretty rough, but even though my pupil has remained dilated, the glare is totally gone. One of my doctors said that my brain is somehow filtering the glare, so that’s been nice.

I’m glad to see that your situation is improving! Another one of my doctors said that he has seen patients with mydriasis improve after years, so wonders never cease!

[Stayhappy18]

Hello,
I am a 24 yr olf female-3 weeks ago I was hit square in the left eye with a tennis ball. My sight was extremely blurry for a few hours but returned to almost normal within 1-2 days. Doc says I had a fair amount of bleeding anda blood clot beind my eye but no detached retina. I took atopine for 1 week. I have now been off atropine for 2 weeks. I was given pilocarpine (spell?) once and it constricted my eye too much and I hated it. My left pupil is still dialated mid-size and looks strange. I am so worried that it will never go down. It does not respond to light at all. What are the chances that my pupil will regain functioning?

[janef45]

Hi
I have been reading this thread for a while now.  I was hit in the eye by a paintball 10 weeks ago.  I had a hyphema in one third of my eye and high pressure.  Was on bed rest and upright for 10 days and reporting to hospital every day and taking streoids, ointment for scratches, dilating drops and pressure drops.  This then reduced to every 2 days, then 2 weeks then 4 weeks.  At my last check up the pressure was high again and I had also developed a traumatic cataract.  I took the dilating drops for the first 6 weeks.  It is now 10 weeks on and my pupil is stil dilated.  Have to go another week with the steroids and another 6 weeks with the pressure drops and then if the pressure has stabilised I can go on the list to have cataract removed.  Has anyone had the cataract surgery yet and does this have any affect on the pupil size and did it stop the light/dark sensitivity?   Reassuring to read others stories.  Jane

[TJayne]

This thread is great.
Although self diagnosis and google can be a bit scary, seeing an ophthalmologist in combination with reading this thread has really helped.

I got hurt on the set of a commercial doing a cheerleading stunt. I took a knee straight to the eye. At the time, it hurt pretty bad. But after about a few minutes the only pain and watering associated was due to the bright sunlight. Since we were shooting outside in the middle of the day, my eye wouldn't open at all but would start to open any time I was in the shade and in the evening when the sun was down so I figured that had to be a good sign.

The next day or so it was still a bit blurry and I started noticing that my eye was reacting a lot differently to light than it should. About a week after I was in the upstairs of a brightly sunlit Apple store and a friend of mine pointed at my eye and told me that one pupil was tiny and the other was HUGE. That's when I started to worry. I also don't have insurance and workmans comp for the commercial had been shady since the day I told them things were blurry.

I just paid the money and went to see a doctor. Although money can be a factor to many, eye sight is nothing to mess around with. I'm glad I just paid the money to get a proper diagnosis. He checked my sight, my size and my pressure and told me it seems to just be a weakened muscle that could take a while to heal if at all. But other than that my eye is completely healthy.

I was SO worried before going to the doctor. Although I think about the fact that this could be permanent it has so far seemed to be getting better after a month. Not sure if the bromday prescribed has been helping as well but for now its sun g's outside. Luckily the brown eyes makes it unnoticeable unless I point it out to people.