If you’re like most people, you’re not too thrilled when your eye doc busts out the dilating drops. It makes lights seem brighter and can make your vision a little fuzzy.
So why all the trouble? Isn’t there technology we can use to avoid dilation?
Let’s start with some good news: WE CAN REVERSE IT!! We have eye drops that will reverse the dilation and get you back to normal much faster.
And here’s even better news: We use newer drops that all but eliminate the blurriness you experience while dilated (sorry the bright lights are still there, but that’s what sunglasses are for)!
Optic Nerve
Dilating your eyes allows your eye doc to see through your pupil to your retina, lens, and vitreous (kind of a big deal!). If something were to happen to your eye like a disease or disorder, there’s a good chance that it will occur in these tissues. Furthermore, the blood vessels in your retina can tell us critical information to your overall health. You would be amazed at the number of systemic diseases that can be caught by examing the retina!
Dilating moves the iris (colored part of your eye) out of the way so we can see in. Imagine you need to look into a room. Would you rather peek through the keyhole or open the door and see the full room? Dilation opens the door so we can see your full retina.
So what about technology that can eliminate dilation? While there are cameras that can take wide angle images of your retina, they cannot fully capture the entire retina and the doctor would fail to gain critical information gleaned only when viewing the retina live, with depth perception. Dilation is here to stay.
So, the next time your optometrist dialtes you, remember how important it is to the health of your eyes and your entire body. And wear some sunglasses!
-Dr. Montgomery