Is Your One Eye Bigger Than The Other? 11 Causes With Best Treatments Options!

One Eye Bigger Than The Other- What Causes It?

Are you wondering why is your One eye bigger than the other? If Yes! You are not the only one to have such a concern.

Having one eye bigger than the other or asymmetrical eyes is quite normal and rarely a reason to be concerned about. Facial asymmetry is prevalent, and symmetrical facial features are not the norm. While it might be apparent to you, others barely notice if you have one eye bigger than the other.

Eyes might appear uneven for several reasons, including skin changes that happen naturally as a part of aging. Sometimes, asymmetrical eyes might be caused by underlying medical conditions that require treatment.

This article will discuss all the causes that lead to one eye being bigger than the other with treatment options.

One eye bigger than the other- Causes

1. Genetics

Genetics is a widespread cause of one eye being more prominent than the other. Like other facial features, you probably have attributes comparable to your father and mother or other family members. If you have a closer look, chances are you will see that others in the family also seem to have one eye bigger than the other eye.

Having one eye bigger than the other due to genetics is not a reason for concern. Here are other potential causes of asymmetrical eyes and their symptoms.

2. Enophthalmos

Enophthalmos refers to the posterior displacement of eyes and occurs when an injury or medical ailment alters the space like the back of the eye, leading the eye to sink. It may occur suddenly or slowly over the years.

Trauma is among the most common reason behind enophthalmos, like being punched in your face or hitting the face in a car accident. Several medical disorders could also induce it, including causes that affect the sinus cavity behind the eyes.

Some people encounter no symptoms other than the drooping or siking appearance of their eye. Based on the cause, you might also sense a pulling sensation beneath your eye, facial pain, or sinus issues.

Conditions that may lead to enophthalmos include:

• chronic maxillary sinusitis
• bony defects
• silent sinus syndrome
• maxillary sinus tumors
• Paget disease

3. Ptosis

Ptosis is also referred to as droopy eyelid. Ptosis could be present when a child is born, known as congenital, or forms laterPtosisu grow up known as acquiPtosisosis. Ptosis is more commonly seen in older adults. It occurs when the levator muscle holding your eyelid either stretches or detaches from your eyelid, thus causing a drooping of the eye. It causes the impression of asymmetrical eyes or one eye bigger than the other.

In some people, the Ptosis condition may affect both eyes. Aging is the most common cause of Ptosis, but it may also result from neurological diseases, stroke, and tumors.

If your eyelid droops enough to interrupt your vision, surgery is advised by the doctor to correct it. You can also achieve surgery for cosmetic reasons if you desire to do so.

4. Proptosis

Proptosis, also called exophthalmos, is the bulging or protruding of either one or both eyes. Graves disorder is one of the most common causes in grown-ups. It causes the tissues behind and near the eye to inflame, thus pushing your eyeball forward. Infrequently, proptosis can result from infections, bleeding, or tumors.

Along with a difference in your eye’s appearance, you might also sense:

• eye pain
• fever
• pulsing in the pronounced eye
• vision problems

5. Normal facial asymmetry

Having flawlessly symmetrical facial features is extremely rare. Most people have varying asymmetries in their facial features that are considered ordinary. This also differs based on your age, ethnicity, and gender.

Regular facial asymmetry can make one eye bigger than the other in appearance, or one eye may seem lower or higher than the other. Sometimes it is not asymmetrical eyes, but asymmetrical eyebrows or the shape of the nose making the eyes seem uneven.

Aging is another common reason behind facial asymmetry. When we age, our skin and different soft tissues within it lose elasticity which drives the skin near our facial features to appear droopy or saggy.

A 2017 review of studies that used hemifacial models to reveal a person’s “unaltered” face with their perfect left-side symmetry and proper left-side symmetry has discovered that ideal facial balance is sensed as unappealing. Some facial unevenness is expected and normal and so considered more alluring.

6. Lifestyle factors

Several lifestyle factors can lead to uneven eyes. For instance, analysis on sets of twins has connected smoking with eyelid ptosis, also called droopy eyelids (mentioned above in this article)

Also, extreme sun exposure can alter the skin closer to the eyes. Sun damage might affect one side of your face more than the other side, causing asymmetry or the appearance of one eye more prominent than the other.

7. Bell’s palsy

Bell’s palsy is a kind of unexpected, transient facial paralysis. It leads to one side of the face drooping, impacting the smile and one of your eyes.

Its cause is presently unknown, though it might be due to trauma, a complication of any viral infection, or nerve damage.

Additional signs and symptoms of Bell’s palsy condition include:

• modifications in saliva or tear production
• problem making facial expressions
• drooling
• ear pain
• headaches
• jaw pain

8. Trauma

Having a blow to the face or being affected in a vehicle crash can cause serious harm to the eye area, directing to asymmetrical facial features.

Facial trauma may also cause enophthalmos or dislocation of the eye, giving the appearance of one eye bigger than the other. This causes people to seem as if they have sunken eyes.

9. Sinus conditions

Some sinus diseases can also cause enophthalmos. These are:

• chronic maxillary sinusitis
• silent sinus syndrome
• maxillary sinus tumors

Adjusting eye appearance and shape can happen abruptly or gradually with the given conditions. They might also cause other signs, including:

• fatigue
• a sore throat
• nasal discharge
• decreased sense of taste and smell
• pain or swelling

10. Graves’ disease

Graves’ disorder is an autoimmune disease that leads to an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). People having Graves’ disease can have proptosis or bulging eyes. When this impacts one eye more than the other, it may lead to facial asymmetry.

Some other signs of Graves’ disease are given below:

• anxiety
• menstrual changes
• changes in sexual desire or function
• heart palpitations
• fatigue
• enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter)
• sensitivity to heat
• unintended weight loss
• sweating

11. Stroke

A stroke is another medical emergency. It may happen when there is diminished blood flow to your brain. People may grow sudden facial asymmetry because of stroke. If the drooping is excessive, it might affect a person’s vision.

Other signs of stroke are:

• difficulty talking and understanding
• a sudden, intense headache
• losing balance and coordination
• numbness of the face, one leg, and one arm
• sudden start of a blurred or doubled vision

One eye bigger than the other- Treatments

In many cases, asymmetrical eyes do not need any treatment. This is particularly true if the asymmetry is caused by genetics and aging.

However, if an underlying medical condition contributes to facial asymmetry, people might require treatment for the disease. Treatment might also be necessary if asymmetrical eyes are resulting in vision problems. Some people might wish to treat asymmetrical eyes for cosmetic reasons.

Here are a few treatments and at-home remedies you can use if you have one eye bigger than the other.

Addressing underlying medical conditions

In a few cases, managing the underlying medical condition accountable can make uneven eyes seem less apparent. For instance, treating Graves’ disorder with thyroid medications or radioactive iodine might prevent protruding eyes.

Those who hold a medical condition causing their eye to be asymmetrical must speak to the doctor about handling their symptoms.

1. Botox

Botox is a non-surgical alternative for facial unevenness. It includes injecting Botox, a muscle relaxer that arises from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, into the region near the eyebrows.

Botox treatment raises the brows, decreasing the appearance of asymmetrical eyes. The results of Botox will generally last for nearly 3–6 months.

2. Browlift

A brow lift is another cosmetic process that raises eyebrows. The goal is to give the face a better youthful appearance and deliver more excellent facial symmetry. A surgeon might use various techniques to increase the brow but generally perform the process while injected with general anesthesia.

Some possible risks of a brow lift are:

• bleeding
• permanent and temporary skin numbness
• further asymmetry (though more surgery can fix this)
• scarring
• hair loss or differences to the hairline
• an allergic reaction to the injected anesthetic
• infections

The effects of a brow lift are not long-lasting. Aging and damage from the sun can cause the skin to become droopy again.

3. Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty is a kind of cosmetic surgery that fixes uneven eyelids. It is an often performed aesthetic procedure. The surgeon will pull excess fat, skin, or muscle from the eye area during the process to make the eyes seem more symmetrical.

After performing this surgery, a person might encounter temporary bruising or swelling.

Some other risks are:

• bleeding
• an allergic reaction to the anesthetic
• infections
• scarring

Less commonly, these processes might generate chronic conjunctivitis (swelling of a part of the eye) or inflammation that lasts for over three months. In sporadic cases, blindness may occur.

4. Orbital surgery

Orbital surgery is performed on the eye socket, also called the orbit. There are various types of orbital surgery, based on the problem and the eye socket area involved

A surgeon might carry out procedures to:

• repair fractures
• remove fat or bones to treat the results of Graves’ disease
• remove tumors
• rebuild the anatomy of the socket

Similar to all surgeries, these procedures possess risks.

5. Do nothing

Treatment is not required unless uneven eyes are caused by a medical ailment or causing vision issues. Treatment is not needed. In this case, therapy is only for cosmetic intentions and based on individual choice.