Dilated pupils in daylight

[Artificial Emotion]

Does exposing eyes with dilated pupils to normal/bright levels of light on a sunny day have the potential to damage your retina? How necessary is it to wear sunglasses? Or does it not matter if it only happens ocassionally?

Also, does having pin point pupils make you less able to see in practice?

 

[Perpetual Indulgence]

I have patients who are on Atropine therapeutically for amblyopia (lazy eye). They can be on it for 1-3 years. There has yet to be data demonstrating that a dilated pupil exacerbates UVA/UVB damage to the retina. Cataracts over many year (10+)....perhaps. Most glasses (not just sunglasses) block 95% of the sun's harmful rays. Sunglasses are usually worn by patients for the light sensitivity.

Miotic (small constricted) pupils may cause distance vision to be blurry as it induces myopia (nearsightedness).