{"id":12603,"date":"2021-06-08T12:59:24","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T12:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=12603"},"modified":"2022-05-12T10:12:30","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T10:12:30","slug":"are-dilated-eye-exams-important","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-exams\/why-are-annual-eye-exams-important\/are-dilated-eye-exams-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Dilated Eye Exams Important?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Dilated eye exams are the best way for your eye doctor to detect many eye diseases.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>It may be inconvenient to get your eyes dilated during an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-exams\/eye-exams\/\">eye exam<\/a>.\u00a0 However, when you consider the advantages of dilating your pupil in an eye exam, the temporary blurred vision and light sensitivity that can follow are well worth it.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Importance of dilated eye exams<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>During an eye exam, your optometrist will shine a bright light into your eye to get a better look at the back of the eye, to view your lens and the retina.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that bright light causes the size of the pupil\u2019s opening to shrink, making it difficult for the optometrist to see clearly inside your eye.<\/p>\n<p>For this reason, your optometrist may apply eye drops to dilate your pupils to keep them open.<\/p>\n<p>The blood vessels and tissues in the retina, as well as the lens and optic nerve, are much easier to see with a dilated pupil.<\/p>\n<p>Dilating the eyes makes it easier for your optometrist to detect the following conditions and diseases:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-cataracts\/\">Cataracts<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-diabetes-and-the-eyes\/why-does-diabetes-cause-blurry-vision\/a-deeper-understanding-of-diabetic-retinopathy\/\">Diabetic retinopathy<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/glaucoma-guide\/\">Glaucoma<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/macular-degeneration-guide\/\">Macular degeneration<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/guide-to-retinal-diseases\/retinal-detachment\/\">Retinal detachment or retinal tears<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/eye-conditions\/treatments-for-ocular-melanoma\/\">Tumors on the retina<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some of these conditions and diseases develop without any noticeable symptoms during their early stages, and are only detectable through a dilated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\">eye exam with your eye doctor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-exams\/why-are-annual-eye-exams-important\/what-to-do-before-an-eye-exam\/\">What to Do Before an Eye Exam?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2><b>The Dilation Process<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Before starting the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-exams\/eye-exams\/\">eye exam<\/a> your eye doctor will apply eye drops to each eye. After 10-20 minutes your pupils should be fully dilated, and will remain dilated for 4-6 hours.<\/p>\n<p>These eye drops might sting for a few seconds and whilst the pupils are dilated the eyes may be sensitive to light since the larger pupil allows more light than usual to enter the eye. Until the eyes return to normal, many patients find wearing sunglasses more comfortable.<\/p>\n<p>Reading or driving may be difficult with dilated eyes, and your vision may be blurred. Some patients have felt a tightening sensation in their eyelids.<\/p>\n<h2><b>How often should I have a dilated eye exam?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Your first first dilated eye exam should take place around the age of 40 to give your optometrist a baseline to compare future findings with. It is recommended that everyone above the age of 60 have a dilated eye exam once a year.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-exams\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-exams\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1626426910626000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF0g4kHSo2tmNbyXUe5jLhadUka6A\">Guide to Eye Exams<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>Schedule a comprehensive eye exam<\/b><\/a> with an eye doctor near you so that you can keep your eyes healthy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dilated eye exams are the best way for your eye doctor to detect many eye diseases.\u00a0 It may be inconvenient to get your eyes dilated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12605,"parent":10322,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12603","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - 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