Why are eye drops needed?
One of the less enjoyable, but most essential portions of the eye exam is the dilation of pupils with the eye drops. This not only allows the doctor to view the inside of the eyes, but the dilating drops temporarily relax the child’s focusing power so that nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism (refractive error) can be accurately measured. After the eye drops have been administered, it takes about 30-60 minutes for them to be fully effective. Expect to be in our office 1 -2 hours. We have toys and books in the waiting area for your convenience. Lights, lights and more lights Lights are used to examine the pupils to see if the eyes are working properly. During this portion of the exam, the eyelids and tear canals are also examined. Lights are also used to determine if the eyes are crossed or straight. This is especially important in infants, because their wide nasal bridge may make their straight eyes look crossed. Sometimes the doctor will cover one eye and then the other to
