The city of Fort Myers in Florida is home to numerous attractive tourist spots that even the locals love to frequent. With all the beauty that the city holds, whether you see it in its beaches or its people, it’d be a shame to not be able to take it all in.
Fully immersing yourself in the city is a challenge if your eyesight is compromised. One surefire way to ensure that your eyes are healthy is to visit an eye doctor, or optometrist, for an eye exam. In case you’ve never undergone such a procedure before, here are four things to expect with an eye exam in Fort Myers:
1. You’ll be asked to have your eyes checked regularly
Like with most things that have to do with your health, you have to stay on top of your eye health by visiting the optometrist as often as needed. Those under 40 years old don’t have to go to an eye doctor too frequently, since once every two years should be sufficient. This may change a bit for those who are older than 40, since they should have their eyes checked every one or two years. Regardless of age, however, if you are suffering from any eye problems, then paying a visit to your optometrist should be an annual affair.
These are, of course, not set in stone. The best way to find out how often you must visit an eye doctor would be to seek the advice of your trusted doctor first.
You don’t have to be nervous about having your eyes checked regularly, especially if you’re under the care of trusted professionals such as the Quigley Eye Specialists. They have eight convenient locations all over SouthWest Florida, including Fort Myers.
2. You’ll be asked some questions when you set an appointment
When you set an appointment with an optical health clinic, expect that they will ask you a couple of questions about the history of your eye health, which is why it’s ideal that you prepare the following pieces of information:
- Your last visit to an eye doctor
- Your last known vision acuity grade
- Eye problems you’ve been diagnosed with
- Eye problems you’ve experienced recently
- Your family’s eye health history
- Other health issues you may have, such as diabetes or heart disease
The street goes both ways: Should you have any questions before your appointment, the best time to ask them would be when you set it. You may want to ask the optometrist or the clinic’s receptionist about the following, among others:
- Their expertise (if they have any)
- The eye problems they usually encounter and how they address them
- The qualifications of the particular optometrist that you’ll be meeting
- Their rates
3. You will be asked to participate in multiple visual tests
A comprehensive eye exam must test different aspects of your vision. These tests aim not only to check whether your eyes are, in all respects, working fine, but also to see if you’re prone to any optical illnesses like glaucoma.
You can expect to undergo common visual tests that check the following aspects of your eye health:
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Visual acuity
Otherwise known as the sharpness of your vision, visual acuity is tested with a projected eye chart, which is probably the most common test one undergoes during an eye exam.
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Eye alignment
This is most simply checked through a cover test. By ensuring that your eyes are aligned, your doctor is checking for issues such a lazy eye.
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Depth perception
If this aspect of your eye health is normal, then you could appreciate objects, like palm trees, in their 3-dimensional nature.
4. Your eyes might be sensitive to light after your exam
For some visual tests, your eyes may need to be more dilated. The doctor does this by putting eye drops in your eyes. The effects of those drops may last beyond the eye exam, which is why you may experience some light sensitivity. Since Fort Myers is a city in Florida that receives a lot of sun, you must prepare by bringing some dark sunglasses with you to shield your eyes after your appointment. You can take an extra cautionary step by asking someone to pick you up after the exam. That way, you’ll have someone to guide you and make sure that you get home safe.
The palm trees at McGregor Boulevard, the many picture-perfect golf courses, and the seashell-speckled beaches—these are only three of the breathtaking views you could find in Fort Myers. Make sure you don’t miss out on any of these by having your eyes checked. Once you do take an exam, expect to answer and ask relevant questions, take a lot of visual tests, and maybe experience sensitivity to light afterwards.