WALK-INS WELCOME — NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED
Emergency Eye Doctor in Aventura
Eye injury, sudden vision loss, or something stuck in your eye? Walk in without an appointment — or call ahead and we’ll tell you in under a minute what to do.
- Mon–Fri 9–5 · Sat 9–2
- 19013 Biscayne Blvd
- 4.9★ · 265+ Google reviews
- Se habla español
“Flashes, a curtain over your vision, or chemicals in the eye: don't wait. Call us right away, or go to the ER if we're closed.”
Go straight to the emergency room — don’t wait for us — if:
You have a chemical burn to the eye · an object has penetrated the eye · you’ve had a serious blow to the head or face · or you’ve suddenly and completely lost vision, especially alongside weakness, slurred speech or a severe headache.
Don’t wait to see whether it improves on its own
Many of the conditions that permanently damage sight — retinal detachment, angle-closure glaucoma, a corneal ulcer — are treatable when caught within hours and far harder to reverse after a few days.
Style Site Optical has cared for Aventura families since 1973. We keep room in the schedule every day for urgent cases, and we have the slit lamp, retinal imaging and diagnostic equipment that most hospital emergency rooms don’t.
Should I go to the ER or to an eye doctor?
Most hospital emergency rooms have no optometrist on staff and no slit lamp, so an eye complaint often means a long wait followed by a referral back to an eye doctor anyway. For anything that involves only the eye, you will usually be seen faster, examined more thoroughly and charged less by coming to us.
Come to us
- Something stuck in your eye
- A red, painful eye that isn’t improving
- Sudden flashes or new floaters
- Scratched cornea or contact lens pain
- Eye infections, styes and pink eye
Go to the ER
- Chemical burns to the eye
- An object that has penetrated the eye
- Serious head or facial trauma
- Vision loss with weakness or slurred speech
- Deep cuts to the eyelid or eye socket
Not sure which? Call us at (305) 404-5996. We would much rather spend a minute on the phone telling you to go to the ER than have you wait.
What to do right now, before you get here
Chemical in your eye
Flush with clean lukewarm water for a full 15 minutes, holding the eyelid open. Don’t stop early to phone anyone — the flushing matters more. Then go to the emergency room.
Something stuck in your eye
Don’t rub it, and never try to pull out anything that is embedded. Blink several times and flush gently with saline or clean water.
A blow to the eye
Apply a cold compress to the area around the eye without pressing on the eyeball itself. Don’t take aspirin or ibuprofen, which can increase bleeding.
Contact lens pain
Take the lens out and leave it out. Bring the lens and its case with you — if there’s an infection, the lens helps us identify what’s causing it.
Sudden flashes or new floaters
Don’t drive yourself. Call us the same day — this can be the first sign of a retinal tear or detachment, where hours matter.
A cut to the eye or eyelid
Cover the eye loosely with a clean shield — the bottom of a paper cup works — and don’t apply pressure.
Eye emergencies we treat the same day
Something stuck in your eye that won’t come out
Metal shavings, sawdust, grit, a stray eyelash, or an insect. If it won’t flush out, or the eye still feels scratchy after, the cornea may be abraded. We remove foreign bodies in the office and treat the scratch underneath so it doesn’t become infected.
Sudden flashes of light or a shower of new floaters
A few floaters that have always been there are normal. A sudden increase, flashes like lightning, or a dark curtain moving across your sight can mean a retinal tear or detachment. This needs to be looked at the same day.
Sudden blurred vision or vision loss in one eye
Painless loss of vision in one eye can signal a retinal or blood vessel problem, and it is always urgent. If it comes with weakness, confusion or slurred speech, call 911 instead — that combination can indicate a stroke.
A red, painful eye that isn’t getting better
Redness with genuine pain, light sensitivity or blurred vision is different from ordinary irritation. It can be iritis, a corneal ulcer or acute glaucoma — all need treatment quickly and none improve with over-the-counter drops.
Eye infections, styes and pink eye
Most cases of conjunctivitis are mild, but bacterial infections and styes that keep growing need prescription treatment. We can tell you which you have and treat it the same visit.
Contact lens complications
Pain while wearing lenses, a lens stuck under the eyelid, or redness after sleeping in lenses. Contact lens-related corneal infections can progress fast — take the lens out and come in.
Eye injuries from sport, work or an accident
Being struck in the eye by a ball, elbow, bungee cord or tool. Even if vision seems fine, a blow can cause internal bleeding or damage to the retina that only shows up on examination.
Light sensitivity, swelling and eyelid problems
Sudden sensitivity to light, swelling around the eye, or an eyelid that won’t open properly all warrant a same-day look.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARRIVE
Seen, examined and treated in one visit
Straight to triage
Urgent cases aren’t put behind routine exams.
Slit-lamp examination
A magnified look at the cornea, lens and front of the eye to find scratches, foreign bodies, ulcers and inflammation.
Dilation and retinal imaging when needed
If flashes, floaters or an injury are involved, we examine the retina directly.
Treatment on the spot
Foreign body removal, prescription drops or oral medication, and a bandage lens if the cornea needs protecting.
Referral if it’s beyond us
If you need a retinal specialist or surgeon, we arrange it and send our findings ahead so you’re not starting over.
Follow-up booked before you leave
Most eye emergencies need a recheck within a few days.
WHAT IT COSTS
$150
for an emergency eye visit
That covers the urgent examination itself. Most medical insurance plans cover an emergency eye visit — call us before you come in and we’ll check your coverage while you’re on the phone.
For comparison, a hospital emergency room visit for an eye complaint typically costs several times that, usually involves a longer wait, and often ends in a referral back to an eye doctor.
Insurance we accept
An eye emergency is usually billed to your medical insurance rather than your vision plan. Bring your card or member ID.
Also accepted: Humana Healthy Horizons · Sunshine Health · Oscar. See all plans →
The doctors who will see you
Every emergency visit is with an optometrist, not a technician. Both doctors examine, treat and, when needed, refer directly to retinal and corneal specialists they work with regularly.
Dr. Teresita Bollar, O.D.
Optometrist & Owner
Serving Miami-Dade since 2009. Doctorate from Nova Southeastern University. Comprehensive and urgent eye care, contact lens and scleral fittings, pediatric myopia management.
Dr. Heather Phillips, O.D.
Optometrist
Ohio State University and Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry. 24 years in optometry and part of Style Site Optical since 2004.
What Aventura patients say
Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 265+ Google reviews.
Eye emergency FAQs
What counts as an eye emergency?
Any sudden change in your vision, any pain in or around the eye, any injury to the eye, and any redness that comes with pain or light sensitivity. If you are asking yourself whether it counts, call us — the phone call is free and takes a minute.
How fast can I be seen?
We hold time in the schedule every day for urgent cases, so in most instances we can see you the same day you call. If you call first thing in the morning with a genuine emergency, we will almost always fit you in that morning.
Can I walk in without an appointment?
Yes. Walk-ins are always welcome for eye emergencies and you do not need an appointment — just come in during opening hours. If you are able to call ahead we will have a doctor ready for you and can tell you what to do on the way, but it is never a requirement. We will not turn away an eye emergency.
What if it happens after hours or on the weekend?
We’re open Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Outside those hours, for anything involving chemical exposure, a penetrating injury, head trauma or sudden total vision loss, go straight to the nearest emergency room. For anything else, call us when we open and we’ll get you in.
Should I go to Style Site Optical or to the ER?
For problems confined to the eye — scratches, infections, foreign bodies, floaters, a red painful eye — an eye doctor is the better choice. We have the slit lamp and retinal imaging that most emergency rooms don’t, and you’ll usually be seen faster and pay less. Go to the ER for chemical burns, penetrating injuries, head trauma, or vision loss combined with weakness or slurred speech.
How much does an emergency eye visit cost?
An emergency eye visit is $150. Most medical insurance plans cover it — call us before you come in and we’ll check your coverage over the phone.
Is an eye emergency covered by insurance?
Usually yes, and often by your medical insurance rather than your vision plan, because an eye emergency is treated as a medical problem. Call us with your insurance details and we’ll confirm before your visit.
Do you treat children’s eye injuries?
Yes. We see children of all ages for eye injuries, foreign bodies and infections, and we have long experience keeping young patients calm through an urgent examination.
Getting to us
19013 Biscayne Blvd, Aventura, FL 33180 — on Biscayne Boulevard, minutes from Aventura Mall, with parking at the door.
Monday–Friday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM · Saturday 9:00 AM–2:00 PM · Sunday closed. Walk-in eye emergencies are seen throughout all opening hours — no appointment needed.
We care for patients across Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Golden Beach, North Miami Beach, Hallandale Beach and Bal Harbour. Se habla español — lea esta página en español.