Eye Dilation

Regular eye exams are crucial to your health. Properly treating vision problems can improve your quality of life in a variety of ways, from reducing headaches to improving performance at school, work, and in other activities. Many people understand and acknowledge the importance of eye exams; however, they are less convinced of the importance of eye dilation.

During eye exams, doctors keep several factors in mind when deciding whether or not their patients need eye dilation, including previous exam history, age, and health.

Previous Exam History

If your previous eye exams with eye dilation have not yielded any unusual findings, you may not need to have your eyes dilated during your next examination. However, your first eye exam will almost certainly include eye dilation to act as a baseline for your overall eye health.


Age affects the decision to dilate your eyes as well. Patients over 40 especially are at a greater risk for eye disease, making eye dilation more necessary.


Both your eye health and your overall health contribute to whether or not you need eye dilation. If you have experienced eye diseases like retinal detachment, you are at a higher risk for future eye problems, so your doctor will likely want to dilate your eyes as a precautionary measure. Additionally, diseases like diabetes are known to increase one’s risk for eye diseases.

Why is Eye Dilation Needed?

There are two main reasons why eye dilation is needed: it widens the pupils and makes it easier for your doctors to detect a variety of eye problems. Eye dilation allows your doctor to clearly see all the way into the back of your eye, helping him or her to detect any abnormalities and treat or prevent future eye problems.

Six Things Eye Doctors Can Discover from Eye Dilation

Things Eye Doctors Can Discover from Eye Dilation 1: Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can lead to vision loss and eventually blindness by affecting the optic nerve. In its early stages, glaucoma can only be detected by eye dilation. When your eyes are dilated during an eye exam, your doctor will be able to detect changes to the shape and color of the optic nerve, which would be indicative of glaucoma.

Things Eye Doctors Can Discover from Eye Dilation 2: Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

This eye disease is characterized by yellow deposits or clumps of pigment beneath the retina. AMD is a common cause for vision loss and, like glaucoma, its earliest stages do not exhibit any symptoms.

Things Eye Doctors Can Discover from Eye Dilation 3: Hypertension

Eye dilation can detect more than just diseases in the eye. Hypertension puts strain on all the blood vessels in the body, including those in the eyes. Even if you are not yet showing other symptoms of hypertension, by dilating your eyes, your doctor will be able to see bleeding from the blood vessels in the eye, as well as areas of swelling that might be contributing to blurred vision.

Things Eye Doctors Can Discover from Eye Dilation 4: Eye Tumors

Eye tumors, including melanoma of the eye, can be detected in their early stages with eye dilation. While some eye tumors are benign, if ignored, they can eventually become more serious. As with many other illnesses, if caught early, your eye doctor can continue to observe eye tumors to see whether or not they are growing and treat them accordingly.

Things Eye Doctors Can Discover from Eye Dilation 5: Diabetes

Diabetes often causes damage to the nerves that allow the pupil to dilate and constrict. Eye dilation will help your doctor determine whether nerve damage indicative of diabetes is present. Regular eye dilation can also help prevent and treat diabetic retinopathy, which is the leading cause of blindness in the United States.

Things Eye Doctors Can Discover from Eye Dilation 6: Cataracts

Cataracts develop in the lens of the eye and present themselves as opaque clumps of tissue, leading to a variety of vision problems. Eye doctors can catch cataracts early with eye dilation, allowing them to treat them earlier and prevent serious vision problems or blindness in the future.

If you are currently wondering why eye dilation is part of your eye exam, keep the facts above in mind when you make your next appointment. We value your vision health and want to help you live the healthiest, most fulfilling life possible. Visit out Vision Hub for more information, schedule your eye appointment today or learn more about our vision insurance offerings.

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