h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So I just had an eye exam today - the kind where they dilate your pupils so that when you walk outside the world (a bright Southern California one at that) burns through the back of your head. Good job they gave me some ridiculous plastic, rollup wraparound shades.

So here I am. My vision slowly returning to normal, sitting in my darkened flat. Can't work in the lab for another 3 hours so I thought I'd do some h2g2ing. I havent had much time recently. This place is great, especially in the day when everyone else I know is working. Ha!


Ste

Hey, you missed the opportunity to use this:


Everything back to normal then? How do they dilate your pupils?

And *why* did they dilate your pupils? Is that routine or was there something wrong with your eyes?


az

Dammit!

Yep. Back to normal. Took about 7 hours to finally be able to focus and go outside without a welder's mask on.

They put some bright yellow drops in your eyes, some chemical that relaxes the muscles in your iris. Dunno what it is. I suspec some simple googling could reap some rewards but it's sunday mornin and I'm lazy.

It's a routine thing with an eye exam I think. I hadn't had one for a while so I think the dude went for the works. After about 15 minutes spent waiting to dilate he shines a light into each eye to look for any internal signs of disease/general problems. It can get quite painful when he does the big bright one at the end. Makes me squint just thinking about it.

Isn't it odd how something such as light can cause such pain?


Ste

Hangovers bring that pain sensitivity to light too And the 'flu. I guess there is some protective mechanism happening there.

A few years back, my opticians found a "blind spot" in both my eyes, so I was duly sent up to the Aberdeen Infirmary Eye Clinic for MRI, droplets, etc. etc. No cause or development of the problem was ever found, so I now have biannual checkups involving those vile belladonna eyedrops to which you refer. And yes, you do suddenly find yourself seeing the world as a fluorescently lit blur, and you find yourself freaking the family/friends/colleagues out until your pupils return to normal size (as opposed to "manga cartoon" size.) The bonus is, now any acts of clumsiness can be put down to the blind spots, as opposed to alcohol, undiagnosed disparaxia etc...