Why Is One Eye Bigger than the Other? 8 Causes and Treatment

When you look in the mirror, do you notice that your eyes aren’t the same size?

Having asymmetrical eyes is a common trait, and it’s often not anything to worry about. However, you might still be curious about what made one of your eyes larger than the other and whether it might be a sign of an underlying problem. We’re here to walk you through everything you need to know on the subject.

Why Is One Eye Bigger Than the Other? 3 Common Causes

Most of the time, the size and proportions of your facial features aren’t any cause for concern. Uncontrollable, circumstantial factors are often behind asymmetry in your eyes and other parts of your face, especially your genes and your age. However, your lifestyle and habits may play a role, too.

Let’s go a bit more in-depth:

1. Your Lifestyle

You can’t stop your body (and eyes) from aging, and you can’t change your family history or DNA. However, you can change your lifestyle and habits, and in some cases, lifestyle factors are the reasons behind facial asymmetry.

For example, the amount of sleep you get at night can affect the way your eyes look, sometimes making one eye look different from the other. Sleeplessness can cause swelling, dark circles, and puffiness, and these signs and symptoms aren’t always evenly distributed between your two eyes.

In addition, chronic stress can tense the muscles around your eyes, sometimes at uneven levels. The same goes for spending too much time on digital devices — something we’re all guilty of.

In these cases, the impact on the appearance of your eyes is often very minor, and you might be the only person who notices asymmetry. However, taking small steps to improve your sleep quality, reduce stress, and limit your screen time can make a difference in your eye health and appearance that you notice.

2. Your Genetics

As we hinted at earlier, genetics play a major role in the symmetry or asymmetry of your facial features. For example, it’s completely normal for ears and eyeballs to be slightly different sizes from birth based on hereditary factors.

In addition, genetic variations play a role in determining your bone structure, which can also play a role in the way your facial features look as you get older.

3. Your Age

The natural aging process can change the proportions of your left eye and right eye in some cases —often for multiple reasons.

For example, aging can change how fat is distributed around your eyes, which can cause bulging eyes or sunken eyes over time. In addition, your skin loses elasticity as you get older, which may be why you have one droopy eyelid.

Finally, some conditions that cause facial feature asymmetry, including thyroid eye disease and orbital tumors, tend to develop when a person gets older. As you age, it’s more important than ever (and it’s always important) to see your eye doctor regularly and screened for early signs of medical conditions like these.

What Diseases Make One Eye Bigger Than the Other?

While lifestyle, aging, and genetics are often the key factors in eye asymmetry, diseases and injuries can also be factors.

1. Bell’s Palsy

Bell’s palsy is a condition that causes sudden weakness or paralysis of facial muscles, which can sometimes lead to drooping eyelids and changes in the overall appearance of a person’s eye.

This condition often affects one side of the face more than the other, causing facial asymmetry by weakening the muscles that keep the eyelids open. As a result, it might look like a person’s eyes are different sizes when they have uneven eyelids.

Thankfully, Bell’s palsy is a temporary condition that can be treated with medications like corticosteroids and antiviral meds. As a person recovers, they may need to explore treatment options like physical therapy and face exercises, as well as treatments that stop dryness — a common side effect of the condition.

Eyelid surgery is sometimes recommended for people with Bell’s palsy who don’t see improvement after a certain period of time. However, eye surgery is more of a last resort than a first response.

2. Upper Eyelid Ptosis

Upper eyelid ptosis is a condition that causes the upper eyelid to droop due to localized muscle weakness. It’s sometimes present from birth, but ptosis can also develop as a person gets older or exist as a side effect of an injury.

It can be tough to deal with upper eyelid ptosis —especially for younger people. The condition can affect a child’s confidence, which is why some healthcare professionals recommend cosmetic surgery to tighten the levator muscle that holds the eyelid open.

However, surgery for upper eyelid ptosis can be expensive, and ophthalmologists usually only recommend it when it’s causing major vision problems, eye pain, or strain.

3. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions caused by eye pressure changes, and it can affect the shape and appearance of a person’s eyes. Over time, glaucoma can also lead to irreversible vision loss, which is why it’s one of an eye doctor’s top priorities to check for signs of the disease during an eye exam.

If you have glaucoma, an ophthalmology specialist might recommend a treatment like surgery to prevent the condition from progressing further. However, sadly, there’s no cure for glaucoma, so the best way to avoid this eye disease is to get eye exams regularly to catch its symptoms in their early stages.

4. Sinus Problems

Sometimes, chronic sinus pressure can change the appearance of your eyes, especially during flare-ups of congestion. A sinus infection can make the area around your eyes puffy and inflamed, and this puffiness isn’t always evenly distributed between your eyes.

The best way to deal with the impact of sinus issues on your eyes is to treat the root cause. Seeing a doctor ASAP and getting on an antibiotic if necessary can make a big difference in how you look and feel.

5. Graves’ Disease

Graves’ disease is a form of hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland), which can cause another condition called thyroid eye disease (TED). Thyroid eye disease can lead to bulging eyes, sometimes in asymmetric proportions.

Sometimes, eye doctors recommend surgical procedures to compensate for changes to the shape of a person’s eye sockets in cases of TED. However, the main treatment for TED is getting thyroid hormone levels in check using medication and lifestyle changes.

6. Stroke

A stroke can affect a person’s facial muscles, making one eye look different. As a person recovers from a stroke, they often need help from a physical therapist to strengthen these muscles again and regain full use of them.

7. Eye Trauma

As you can imagine, serious eye injuries can affect the shape of the eye and make one look bigger or smaller than the other. Some injuries can also lead to vision loss, especially if they aren’t treated as fast as possible.

The best way to avoid an eye injury is simple: wear protective eyewear any time you’re doing something risky. That might mean putting on your PPE anytime you use your weed whacker, play softball, or do anything else that might pose a risk to the safety of your eyes.

Can You Treat Uneven Eyes?

There are some ways to make your eyes look more proportional and symmetrical, including using makeup or cosmetic surgery. However, it’s important to mention that treatment isn’t always necessary.

You might not love the appearance of your eyes, but if the differences between them aren’t affecting your day-to-day life, treatment may not be worthwhile or necessary. In general, interventions like surgery are only recommended by eye doctors in cases when a person can’t see well because of the difference between their eyes.

For example, some folks with upper eyelid ptosis get surgery to stop a drooping eyelid from causing vision problems — the same goes for some people with glaucoma. However, most of the time, it’s best to own the way you look and practice being confident in your own skin, especially if your eye proportions aren’t doing any real harm.

Everyone’s Eyes Are Unique

If one of your eyes is bigger than the other, it’s highly likely that there’s no need to worry. You might be the only one who notices the difference, and while it might be tempting to use makeup — or even resort to cosmetic surgery — to fix the “problem,” we recommend accepting the way you look and appreciating your unique eyes for what they are.

Sources:

Asymmetrical face: Causes, treatment and more | Medical News Today

Orbital Tumors | Neurological Surgery

Recognizing and Treating Eye Injuries | American Academy of Ophthalmology

Ptosis (Droopy Eyelid): Causes & Treatment | Cleveland Clinic