What is a dilated eye exam? 

A dilated eye exam is part of a comprehensive eye exam, in which an eye doctor checks your vision, determines your vision prescription (if needed) and assesses the health of your eyes. 

The dilated portion of the eye exam takes place while your pupils are dilated, which allows your eye doctor to get a better look at the retinas and optic nerves using magnifying lenses and special light sources.

What happens during a dilated eye exam?

After assessing your visual acuity, your optometrist will put a series of drops into your eyes. These drops will stimulate your pupils, making them expand or dilate. Because the drops do not allow the pupils to constrict (get smaller), they provide larger “windows” for your doctor to view the back of your eyes.

Most dilating drops take 20 to 30 minutes to reach their full effect. Once your pupils are fully dilated, your doctor will assess the health of the back of your eyes with a series of instruments. These tools allow for magnified views of the optic nerves and retinas. 

Though inconvenient, the process of dilating your pupils is painless. After your pupils have been dilated, you will be sensitive to sunlight and experience blurred vision, mainly when viewing up-close objects. 

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