Until recently, the preferred way to get a good view of all the structures in the eye is to dilate them, or open the pupil up very big. If the eyes weren't dilated with eye drops, if we tried to look in them with a light, the pupils would just get very small and it would be very hard to see inside. It would be like trying to look through a keyhole, we would only see a small area, but when dilated, it sort of opens up the door to the eye so we can view everything.

At Triangle Eye Care, we give our patients the option to use our Optomap retinal exam image scanner. The Optomap allows us to image the back and inside of your eye without the need to dilate. This allows us to provide you with a Comprehensive Eye Exam without the blurred vision and sensitivity to light that is normally experienced after having your eyes dilated. This means that you leave our office comfortable and without the need to protect your eyes from the side effects of dilation.

If you prefer a traditional dilation exam, keep in mind that dilation typically lasts about 4 to 6 hours and will cause it to seem very bright outside, so remember to bring your sunglasses. It may also make things blurry up close, especially for reading or work, so keep this in mind when scheduling your appointment.