Im getting my eyes dilated and i was wondering?!


Question:

Im getting my eyes dilated and i was wondering?

does it hurt? what should i expect. do i need anything should i take someone with me?


Answers:

When you get your eyes dilated, they first make your eyes numb with a drop. Stings about a 3. After that they put in a drop that paralyzes the sphincter muscle (goes around the edge of the pupil). With that muscle paralyzed, the dilator muscle tone pulls open the pupil, makes the hole larger. That may be all they do. Some also us a second drop that stimulates that dilator muscle which is directed like the spokes of a wheel and pulls the pupil open. So the constrictor one is not working and the dilator one is over working. The drops also go down into your nose and back to your throat so you may get a funny taste. If they use the dilator one, your nose will clear up and you'll be breathing just fine. (not that it's not already clear...just in case it isn't..have a cold or allergy or ...)

Once you are dilated, they'll look around inside your eye at the nerve, the retina, the retinal vessels, the macula (center of the retina, and the periphery....way out to the sides almost up to the front.

Since the drops paralyze the muscles in the eye, you won't be able to focus. So reading won't be possible afterwards unless you are already nearsighted or use grandma's readers which would do the work for you that you normally do by yourself when your accomodation muscles (focusing muscles) aren't paralyzed.

Light will be BRIGHT! So dark glasses are pretty much HIGHLY recommended. The don't need to be polarized but that's nice.

They should have some 'mydriatic spectacles' which are those little plastic/papery ones to wear when you leave.

Driving? Not a good idea. It's not that you won't be able to see, you will...but things will be blurry, a lot blurry. And if you get in an accident while driving....well, it's YOUR fault for driving when you don't see normally, and didn't you KNOW you couldn't see normally? and you drove ANYWAY and ran over Mrs. Johnson's chicken! or worse, her grandson....so DO take someone with you who can drive.

It takes anywhere from 4-12 hours to un-dilate. So going in the late afternoon will make it so you don't ruin the whole day, just the latter half. And don't do it the night before an exam...you will not see 'right' enough to study.




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