What is the purpose of dilation?
When the pupil is functioning normally, shining a bright light into a person’s eyes causes the pupil to constrict. Using dilating drops allows the optometrist to use the instruments necessary to evaluate the posterior portion of the eye, including the retina and optic nerve, without the pupil becoming smaller. In fact, the large, dilated pupil allows a much better view all the way to the “far corners” of the retina.
