When you go see your eye doctor, they are going to check all kinds of things. They are going to check to see if you need any correction to your vision, and if so, how much. They are also going to check the pressures in your eye to see if you are dealing with glaucoma. After all those tests, there's one more thing that the eye doctor is going to do. They are going to dilate your eyes. It may not be your favorite part of your eye appointment, but it is a necessary part because dilating your eye lets your doctor see into the structures of the eye, which they wouldn't otherwise be able to do. If you are going to get your eyes dilated, there are some things that you should know. 

Lasts 4-6 Hours

When the doctor dilates your eyes, it generally takes 4-6 hours for your eyes to go back to normal. However, people with lighter-colored eyes might take a little longer to get back to normal. In some cases, it may take 24 hours for everything to react the way that you are used to. If your eyes haven't gone back to normal within that 24 hour period, you should call your doctor and talk to them about it. 

Bring Sunglasses

Dilating your pupils means that your pupils are going to be wide open. The pupils dilate and contract and control how much light gets into them. So, when your eyes are dilated, there is no way for the pupils to contract to avoid the light. At that point, even the ordinary light found in any room can be too much for your sensitive eyes. Putting on a good, dark pair of sunglasses will help because it will block some of the light that might hit your eyes otherwise. You may want to wear sunglasses inside as well, depending on how bright the inside is. You may also want to dim your computer screen because even the light from the screen can make your eyes hurt. Sitting in a dark room can be the best thing that you can do at first. 

If you are going to go see the eye doctor, they are going to do a lot of things for you. One of the things that they are going to do is dilate your eyes. You might not like it, but it is definitely a good thing to do. 

For more information on other eye exam aspects, reach out to an optometrist.