Many people have regular eye exams as children and adulthood and know what to expect. However, as you grow older, your optometrist may recommend that your routine eye exam include eye dilation. During an eye exam with dilation, your eye doctor will administer special drops that dilate the pupils of the eyes. When your pupils are fully dilated, your eye doctor will have a better view of inside your eyes, and it will be easier to identify eye problems or diseases that may not have symptoms. If you have never had an eye exam with dilation, it is important to know what to expect. Use the following tips if you have scheduled an eye exam with dilation.

Arrange for Transportation Home

When your pupils are fully dilated, your vision may become unfocused or blurry. Everyone reacts to eye dilation differently, so one person may have very blurry vision after the eye drops are administered while another may have very little change in vision. However, since there is no way to know how your vision will react when your eyes are dilated it is always in your best interest to arrange to have someone drive you home after your appointment. It is not safe to drive if your vision is blurry, and the last thing that you want is to be stranded at your eye doctor's office while you wait for your vision to return to normal.

Bring Sunglasses

Eye dilation involves making your pupils as large as possible. When your pupils are fully dilated, they will let in a lot of light, so it is not uncommon for people to be very sensitive to light after an eye exam with dilation. One of the best things that you can do to combat eye sensitivity is to bring a pair of large, dark sunglasses with you to your appointment. The sunglasses will help limit the amount of light that enters your eyes, which can help a lot with light sensitivity. You will most definitely want to have your sunglasses on when you step outside of your eye doctor's office into the bright sunshine.

Pay Attention to When You Schedule Your Appointment

It is a good idea to pay careful attention to when you schedule your appointment for an eye exam with dilation. Since your vision can be blurry for several hours afterwards, you may have great difficulty reading or seeing small print. This means that if you have a job that involves working on a computer or reading documents, you most likely will not be able to go back to work after an eye exam with dilation. It is best to schedule your appointment for a time when you don't have anything important to do afterwards. 

For more information about the eye exam, contact your local eye doctor.