Maouidi

Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology: plan not to drive afterwards

Most ophthalmology appointments involve drops that dilate the pupil, and the effect lasts several hours: vision stays blurred and light becomes uncomfortable. That is the single most useful practical fact about this specialty — arrange your way home in advance and do not plan to drive afterwards.

What this specialist handles

  • Falling vision, sight measurement and prescriptions for glasses.
  • Cataract, glaucoma and eye-pressure measurement.
  • Retinal screening for people with diabetes or high blood pressure.
  • Dry eyes, repeated redness and eyelid conditions.
  • Squint and lazy eye in children.
  • Screen-related eye strain and headaches while reading.

When to book

  • Vision that blurs or loses sharpness, even gradually.
  • Repeated headaches while reading or working at a screen.
  • The periodic retinal check if you have diabetes.
  • A child who sits too close to the screen, tilts their head, or whose eye drifts.

What the visit looks like

The appointment opens with an acuity measurement on the letter chart, then a slit-lamp examination and an eye-pressure reading. Dilating drops usually follow, with a wait of around twenty minutes before the back of the eye is examined.

Bring your current glasses and your previous prescription if you have it, along with the names of any drops you use. If you have diabetes, bring your latest blood results: the retinal examination is read against them.

Booking on Maouidi

  1. Install the Maouidi app on Android and create an account with your phone number.

  2. Search by specialty, then filter by wilaya.

  3. Open the practitioner or clinic profile: address, services, and how they take bookings.

  4. Pick your slot. Some practitioners work in fixed time slots, others hand out queue numbers for the day — the app shows which one each of them uses.

  5. Confirm. The appointment appears in the app, together with your queue number if the practitioner works that way.

  6. Turn up at the time or the number shown. Consultations are paid at the clinic. If something comes up, cancel in the app ahead of time so the place goes to someone else.

An ophthalmology consultation is not the same as a sight test at an optician: the prescription comes from the doctor. Book a consultation in the Maouidi app under “Ophthalmology”, and allow at least two hours in your day because of the drops.

Get the app

Common questions

Can I drive after the appointment?

Not if dilating drops were used. Vision stays blurred and light is dazzling for several hours — better to be accompanied or to arrange another way home.

How often should someone with diabetes have their eyes checked?

Retinal follow-up is regular, at a rhythm your doctor sets according to your situation and how long you have had diabetes. The key idea is that retinal damage begins without symptoms, so do not wait for vision to drop before booking.

I suddenly see flashes and a lot of floaters — should I book?

The sudden appearance of flashes, a shower of floaters, or a curtain across part of your field of vision does not wait: go to an emergency department or an eye service the same day.

Useful guides