Sometimes your eyes may need to be dilated in order to view the back of your eyes (the fundus) more clearly. Dilation means that your pupils will open up wide and look quite large.

In order to do this, your Optometrist will put drops called Tropicamide into your eyes. The drops take about 30 minutes to become effective.

Tropicamide is considered to be an extremely safe drug and is used all over the world by Optometrists to dilate the eyes.

What will the drops do?

The drops will sting slightly when they are administered at first but this is temporary. Your pupils will become large and this wider pupil allows your Optometrist to view the inside of your eyes clearly, this is important to determine the health of the back of your eyes.

What are the side effects?

Your pupils will remain large for a minimum of 6 hours. This will make you sensitivity to light. It is advisable to wear sunglasses, if you have them, after your eyes have been dilated. You may also experience blurred vision. For these reasons you should not drive or operate machinery for a minimum of 6 hours after you have had your eyes dilated.

Adverse reactions to Tropicamide are extremely rare, however, if you should experience any symptoms such as red, painful eye with misty vision, please contact your Optometrist.