Dilation is good during an exam

In the Healthbeat column in Iowa's Quad City Times (1/8), Deirdre Cox Baker observed that having the eyes dilated as part of an eye examination is a "weird experience," as well as a necessary one, because "glaucoma -- one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States -- can be caught if a doctor uses dilation to clearly see the retina, optic nerve, and vessels in the back of the eye." While "glaucoma is not preventable...it can be controlled to some extent if detected early." According to the American Optometric Association, "there are two types of glaucoma," a "common kind" that "develops painlessly and gradually, typically without symptoms," and another kind that comes on "rapidly," with symptoms including "blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision,colored rings around lights, and pain or redness in the eyes."