Your First Visit: What to Bring to Your Eye Exam

Welcome to The Villages

Maybe you just moved to The Villages, or you are here for the winter. Either way, finding a new eye doctor takes a little planning. So this checklist gets you ready.

Our office is at 2478 Burnsed Blvd in Pinellas Plaza, the Winn-Dixie shopping center near Powell Road. We are open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Patients from Lady Lake, Oxford, Summerfield and Wildwood are welcome too. Plan a few extra minutes for the drive and parking. Also, tell us if you need help getting in and out of the office.

The checklist

Please bring:

• Your current glasses, including reading and computer pairs
• Contact lenses or the boxes, if you wear them
• Your insurance cards: medical, Medicare and any vision plan
• A photo ID
• A list of your medicines and supplements, with doses
• Sunglasses for the ride home
• Past eye records or your last prescription, if you have them

If you are not sure about your insurance, call us ahead at (352) 399-5412. Because coverage varies by plan, we are glad to help you check.

Do not worry if you cannot find every item. Instead, bring what you have and tell us what is missing. We can often work from the lens power printed on your glasses or contact lens box.

Your health story

Your eyes connect to the rest of your body, so be ready to tell the doctor about:

• Conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, which NEI links to a need for yearly exams
• Eye problems in your family, such as glaucoma
• Past eye surgery or injuries
• Anything you have noticed, such as glare at night, headaches or trouble reading

Write your questions down, because it is easy to forget them in the exam chair.

What happens during the visit

A comprehensive exam includes checks of visual acuity, eye pressure and your lens prescription. It also looks at the health of the front and back of your eye. Dr. Russell uses a slit lamp, and dilation when needed.

The National Eye Institute says that if you are over 60, you should have a dilated exam every one to two years. After dilation, your vision may be blurry. Light may also bother you for a few hours, so bring sunglasses and think about a ride home.

If you want to browse frames, plan for a little extra time. Our optical has thousands in stock, and then the on-site lab makes many glasses in about an hour.

Our team is here to explain each step as it happens. If you feel nervous about the drops or the air-puff style tests, say so. After a short explanation, the visit usually goes much more smoothly.

Snowbirds and records

If you spend part of the year elsewhere, ask us for a copy of your exam notes and prescription. Then carry them north with you. Ask your doctor there to send us any records for your file, too.

However, you may buy glasses or contacts anywhere you like, because your prescription is yours.

Keep a small folder with your prescriptions, insurance cards and doctor contacts. That way, every new office visit gets easier, wherever you are.

Book your first visit

If you have a red or painful eye, sudden floaters or a sudden drop in vision, tell us when you call. Then we can find the right appointment.

Sudden flashes of light, a shower of new floaters, a curtain over your vision, sudden vision loss or a chemical in the eye: call (352) 399-5412 right away, or go to the nearest emergency room.

This page is general information, not medical advice. Please talk with your eye doctor about your own eyes.

Ready for your visit? Request an Appointment or Call (352) 399-5412.