What is a dilated eye exam?
A dilated eye exam is a part of your comprehensive eye check. In this, your eye doctor checks your retina, optic nerve and vision, after putting drops to make your pupils larger.
The pupils are the dark aperture in your iris, and are the window which allows your eye doctor to get a better look at the back of the eye. After making this aperture bigger, your doctor can see the retina and optic nerve better. Sometimes, especially in children, dilation is necessary to prescribe their glasses accurately.
What happens during a dilated eye exam?
After checking your vision, your eye doctor will put a some drops in your eyes. These drops will dilate your pupils.
Most dilating drops take about 30 minutes to work, and their duration of action is also different. Once your pupils are fully dilated, your doctor will check the back of your eyes.
The process is inconvenient and tedious, but is absolutely painless. After your pupils have been dilated, you will not be able to see clearly (especially near vision will be very blurred), and you will experience light sensitivity.
So remember:
- Be prepared to spend at least an hour at the doctor’s office
- Do not drive on your way back from the clinic
- Do not schedule any near vision related tasks for at least three hours after the appointment
- Do carry your sunglasses to the clinic. They will help with the light sensitivity
When do I have to get a dilated eye exam?
You do not always need a dilated evaluation. Your doctor will suggest one if she is concerned that you may be at risk for certain eye diseases, including:
- Glaucoma
- Retinal diseases like diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, age related macular degeneration
- Cataract
- Refractive errors, especially in children
