4 ms·

Why do you need your eyes dilated? It isn't something that is done in the UK.

• Jtsummers 3y ago
  My vision is very, very bad. Eye dilation is to allow the doctor to examine the retinas, in my case. Though as others have pointed out they're doing more digital imaging these days and that doesn't require dilation. My doctor now dilates my eyes every other year. If your vision is normal (or not as abnormal as mine) and you aren't at high risk of various eye health issues (diabetic, family history, high blood pressure) then there's little need for dilation in an eye exam.
  • rjsw 3y ago
    My eye checks every other year have had a retinal exam component for as long as I can remember, never been given any drugs to affect the pupil diameter though.
    • Jtsummers 3y ago
      That was what they did for me until my eyes exceeded about -8 or -9 diopters of correction (late high school, not sure where it was exactly when they started dilating them but in that range), then they introduced dilation as a regular thing.
• xkcd-sucks 3y ago
  It's considered good practice to get regular eye exams for catching problems inside the eye, and the most common way of doing an eye exam is by shining a bright light inside the eye and viewing it with a magnifier. The illumination only works if pupils can't accommodate. NB in the USA nobody I know does get regular eye exams but we should especially later in life because some types of macular degeneration can be slowed down somewhat with various therapies
  • CaliforniaKarl 3y ago
    _raises hand_ Hello! I, and my extended family, have gotten yearly eye exams for at least as long as I've been alive.