Can I drive after a a dilated eye examination?

[Bearcreek]

I will have a dilated eye exam tomorrow and I just wonder if I can drive after that.

[Bearden]

Yes, you can drive after a a dilated eye examination. In fact, the eye exams won't affect your ability to drive. But you still need to be careful as most of people are normally dilated for 2 - 4 hours. If you have not dark sunglasses, you can get a disposable ones from the doctor so as to help you see clear especially in sunny day. And dilation affects your up close vision so any type of reading will be blurry. So, you can let your eyes a few hours of rest before you drive.

[Beardsley]

Do not do that. The dilated eye examination is a part of regular examination. The eye doctor would drop some eye drops to dilate your pupils so that the doctor could see the back of your eyes easily. And this step needs 15 to 20 minutes to dilate your pupils fully. Then, the doctor would light your eyes to exam your eyes. Please remember to tell the doctor if you have glaucoma or you allergy to any type of eye drop in advance. After the exam, you would have an unclear version for several hours, and your eyes would become more sensitive to strong lights so that wearing sunglasses under sun is helpful.

[Beardstown]

Eye dilation is common during an eye exam after preliminary testing of visual acuity, and having your eyes dilated don't hurt. After the dilated eye examination, you may want to consider having a friend with you to help you drive home, or assist you. You really should wait a while before driving. Or may be you will feel slightly disoriented if you don't take a rest. Dilated eyes are much more sensitive to light than those that aren't dilated. If you have to drive to home, you need to bring along a pair of dark sunglasses for the ride home.