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extended dilation of pupil after eye exam

My daughter(8YRS) had an eye exam yesterday and they put drops in her eyes to dilate the pupil for the exam. They told me that the drops last about 4 hours.  This morning her pupils are still dilated, should I be concerned???
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177275 tn?1511755244
A tumor would not cause that problem. Depending on the dilation drops used and the color of her eyes (blue, gray and green eyes stay dilated longer than brown) they could stay dilated for 24-36 hours.  Remind the eye doctor to note this on her chart and weaker drops can be used in the future.

The most common thing that causes pain and discomfort is dryness of the cornea (which is common in autoimmune disorders). This typically affects both eyes.  

In very rare cases (especially at age 39) dilation can cause an attack of angle closure glaucoma but it would be extremely unlikely to affect both eyes.

Nevertheless because of grading the pain 9 our of 10  I would suggest you call the doctor that did the exam (or whomever is taking call for him/her) and discuss the situation.

Things you might do to help the cornea dryness would be frequent use of artificial tears (good ones Systane, Refresh, Blink, Soothe) and warm or cool compresses.

Again because of the pain please call the doctor that did the exam.

JCH MD
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Avatar universal
Doc my wife is 39 years old & has been diagnosed positive for an auto immune disease & she is the child of a Vietnam Veteran that passed from a brain aneurysm linked to Dixon from Agent Orange... I took her to have her eyes examined today at her RA request... Ever since they dilated her eyes 7.5 hours ago they have stayed dilated,,, she is very light sensitive & she says they hurt at about a 9 on a pain scale of 1-10... She fears a tumor... Her eyes are Hazel,,, kind of lost on what to do for her... I'll call the eye doc tomorrow about the kind of drops they used... What is your advice...
StarWarrior...
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You can use warm or cool compresses and artificial tears but you should call the "doctor" that checked his eyes and if he is still uncomfortable he will need to go back in to see if the cornea is scratched or irritated.

JCH MD
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Avatar universal
My son  had his eyes dilated today for the first time at around 1:50 pm. He is experiencing burning in his eyes. Is there something I can do to help the ease the burning? He can not close his eyes to go to sleep it burns him. Can I put in some eye drops to ease the pain or will it do more damage to his eyes? Any advise please
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Avatar universal
My son  had his eyes dilated today for the first time at around 1:50 pm. He is experiencing burning in his eyes. Is there something I can do to help the ease the burning? He can not close his eyes to go to sleep it burns him. Can I put in some eye drops to ease the pain or will it do more damage to his eyes? Any advise please
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
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Avatar universal
They are noticably smaller today, but still dilated.  I will call the doctor this morning. Thanks for your guidance.  Maybe they can flag her chart for the next time.  It was kinda frustrating, it was a beautiful weekend and we pretty much were relegated to the indoors:o(

Thank you again!  Hope you have a great week!

Melissa
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Yes if still dilated tomorrow call. Also nest time mention the drops last a long time and they might be able to use weaker drops.
JCH MD
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Avatar universal
She has dark brown eyes, but the Dr. didn't mention anything about the muscles of her eyes.  Do you think that I should call in on Monday about a follow-up?  Perhaps or ask what drops they did use as you say some drops are more potent.  The eye group that we use does have several opthamologists on staff, but I am fairly certain she was seen by an optometrist this time(since it was a Saturday appt.)

Thank you for your answer to my initial question, any guidance would be appreciated.  
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Avatar universal
I guess you are right.  They do seem to be returning to normal, though still slightly dilated--at 3pm today that is 27 hours later.  I may ask that they use less next time, though I don't know exactly what the dose is.

Thanks for the reassurance, I was worried about it.
Helpful - 0
233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Drops last longer in blue, gray or green light colored eyes. Also in children especially if eye muscle problems are present or suspected stronger drops (cyclogyl or cyclopentolate) are often necessary and they can last several days in some children.

JCH MD
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I suspect that the effects of dialating drops vary from person to person, and they are probably more pronounced in younger people.  They told me that the drops would only last for 2 hours, and 12 hours later my eyes were still noticeably dialated--and I'm in my 50's.  So don't panic.
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177275 tn?1511755244
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