3 Signs of a Reliable Eye Doctor in Fort Myers, FL

People’s eyesight is easily deteriorating nowadays. It’s the effect of long-term use of gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. Whether you’re having a blurred vision, wanting to maintain healthy eyes, or just looking for a new pair of glasses, you need to see an eye doctor.

If you live in Fort Myers, FL, a lot of eye specialists offer somewhat similar services, so it can be a little challenging to find the right eye specialist. To help you choose a reliable eye doctor, look for these signs:

1. Good Reputation

Just like drinking coffee or fine dining, choosing an eye doctor must be based on their reputation. When you want to drink coffee, you select a cafe that is known to serve the best coffee. Similarly, you need to choose an eye doctor that has a good reputation just like the specialists at quigleyeye.com. Whether it’s an optometrist or an ophthalmologist, check their previous clients’ reviews.

By checking how their past customers have rated them, you can get an idea of their reputation. If your prospective eye specialist has a lot of negative reviews, chances are they provide terrible service. To find out reviews about the doctor, do the following:

• Search online reviews by typing in the name of the doctor’s office and its location.
• Check the star rating. You must choose a doctor with reviews of at least 4+ stars out of 5 as this means excellent service.
• Reviews should not be more than two years old for reliability’s sake.
• Check different review sites so you can compare and determine if the reviews are real or generated.
• Read comments of previous clients. Don’t choose a doctor with a lot of negative feedback and complaints.

2. Has the Right Qualifications

Choosing an eye doctor can be hard when you’re undecided why you want to see an eye doctor. If you’re looking for corrective glasses, find an optometrist. When you need an eye treatment or eye surgery, then you need an ophthalmologist. After knowing what kind of eye doctor is required for your eye problem, check the qualifications of your prospective doctors.

You can check their qualifications by visiting sites that list down eye doctors around your area such as the American Optometric Association. These sites have long lists of eye doctors who are qualified to operate depending on the state you’re in. You can also personally ask your eye doctor for proof of license or certifications.

To avoid confusion, you must know the qualifications of an optometrist and an ophthalmologist:

• Optometrist – The license of an optometrist covers eye or vision tests, detecting eye abnormalities, and issuing corrective lenses. However, their license only covers the specific state where they’re based. Here are their qualifications:
  • The educational requirement of optometrists is similar to that of the dentists, which is a four-year college program, followed by a four-year course in a postgraduate optometry school.
  • After obtaining a license, they need to enroll in continuing education throughout their career as a requirement for renewing their license. This is mandated so they will always be updated with the latest eye care treatment
  • Optometrists are only allowed to participate in pre- and postoperative care of patients.

• Ophthalmologist – An ophthalmologist is a medical or osteopathic doctor that provides eye and vision care. They are licensed to practice medicine and eye surgery. Here are their qualifications:
  • The educational requirement consists of finishing a four-year college program and another four-year medical school program.
  • They must have at least a year of internship and three years of residency in ophthalmology.
  • They must also be board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and state licensed as doctors of osteopathy within the state they practice.

3. Affordable Services

An expensive eye doctor doesn’t necessarily mean they provide the best services in town. Sometimes, their prices are only based on their popularity or due to their location’s high rental fee. It’s vital to compare the price rates of eye doctors instead of going for the most expensive one. Choose the one that fits your budget but offers high-quality service.

During the consultation, ask for the overall cost of your treatment as well as the hidden charges, if there are any. Sometimes, cheaper services have hidden fees that may surprise you when you receive your bill. Moreover, check their website for discounts and promos so you can save some money for your personal use. Others may even be affiliated with your vision insurance.

Therefore, to determine who the affordable eye doctors are, you have to know your budget, the cost of the eye consultation or exams, the cost of glasses and other devices that you need, and others.

Conclusion

Your eyes are vital parts of your body. With unclear vision or damage to your eyes, you’ll no longer enjoy the beautiful sights the world has to offer. Before your eye problems worsen, you need to see an eye doctor – an affordable but reliable one. Just remember the signs mentioned above so you can hire an eye doctor that will suit your needs.