Why Do My Eyes Need to be Dilated?

Your St. Petersburg Eye Doctor Serving Pinellas County

Have you ever wondered why Dr. Rcyzek almost always insists on dilating your eyes when you come to our office for an eye exam? Well, you’re not the only one! Lots of our patients want to know more about eye dilation and why we do it.

For some of us, having drops put into our eyes can be intimidating, so we want to know if we can avoid that uncomfortable feeling. Additionally, the drops do tend to cause a slight irritation initially, which can make some patients nervous. Still, we promise you, it’s necessary!

Another reason our patients might want to skip dilation is because it can require a little extra planning for your appointment. When your eyes are dilated, your visit will take longer and you may need to make transportation arrangements. This is because once drops are administered, they take about 30 minutes to effect your pupils. Once they do, your vision will be blurry for several hours, which can make driving dangerous.

As a result, many patients might see this part of the exam as merely an inconvenience or an unfamiliar experience to avoid, but dilation is actually a crucial part of evaluating your vision and ocular health.

So next time you schedule your eye exam, be prepared for dilation. When you make your appointment, you can actually confirm whether or not dilation is necessary. Depending on the type of exam and the reason for your visit, it might not be part of your assessment, though, as we mentioned, if it’s a regular check-up, it’s likely necessary.

To find out more, call our St. Petersburg optometry office at 727-327-8855.

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