"I Don't Like Dilation" - said Every Patient Ever.

"Do I really need to be dilated?" "I don't like being dilated." "I was just dilated last year." "I only want my vision checked."

Say it, ask it, or name it - we've heard it all when it comes to dilation. In a nutshell, dilation to your Optometrist is EXACTLY like blood work to your Primary Care Provider. Do you refuse routine blood work when your PCP orders it? Of course not. You know that he/she is looking at your overall health picture - making sure nothing is missed. The same holds true for a dilated eye exam (Note: we're calling it an eye exam rather than a vision exam). Without dilation, Drs. Cowan, O.D. are unable to view the inside of your eyes making it impossible to detect any issues that may be silently and slowly stealing your vision or your life. Your eyes may not really be the window to your soul but in reality they are the window to your health. In our office alone, through a dilated eye exam, Drs. Cowan, O.D. have been able to detect glaucoma, AMD, retinopathy, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, leukemia, brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, thyroid disease, heart disease and sickle cell disease in patients who showed no other signs or symptoms. For these patients, their yearly eye exam turned out to be more than just a new pair of glasses. Thankfully, they did not refuse dilation. Say yes to yearly dilation! Your body changes Every. Single. Day. and along with it so does your health. You're older today than you were yesterday and unfortunately with age we become more susceptible to health issues. Someone who is diagnosed with cancer today may have been completely healthy 365 days ago. Diseases are most treatable in their earliest stages. Typically, symptoms only begin to surface in the advance stages of a disease. At this point, irreversible damage has been caused or the disease has become so advanced that treatment may not be effective. Is that a risk you're willing to take to avoid a few hours of blurred vision and light sensitivity? Still say no to dilation? We also offer the Optomap Retinal Exam as an alternative to eye dilation.