Dilating eyedrops?

Question

which medicine is used as dilating eyedrops for eye exams?

Answer 1

Depends. I'd say probably the most common thing is tropicamide, either 0.5% or 1%. The lower percentage has its effects wear off faster, and neither one affects your accommodative ability too much for too long.

Another option is phenylephrine, usually 2.5%. It can be used in conjunction with tropicamide to get the pupil more dilated. Some people don't like it because it lasts a bit longer and, if absorbed systemically, could potentially cause problems in people with heart disease.

Lastly, we have cyclopentolate, 0.5% or 1%, which is usually used for young people (kids/teenagers) or anyone considering laser surgery. It not only dilates the pupil, it also freezes your accommodative (focusing) ability, eliminating some of the problems in getting an accurate prescription. (It's also used pre-cataract surgery for the same reason.)

So yeah - those are the three most common drops that pretty much any optometrist or ophthalmologist probably has kicking around the office.

Answer 2

Neosynephrine and Mydriacyl. They burn, so often an anesthetic eye drop is used as well, as mentioned by the Optometry student. Atropine can be used, but lasts almost 2 weeks, so in only used in special circumstances, when you need the pupil dilated a long time- as in some disease states.