When it comes to your vision having the right physician can make worlds of difference. You need to be able to see clearly, it’s not just a matter of frustration but a matter of safety. Because there are a variety of problems that can affect your vision you need to make sure that the specialist you are seeing is the right one. There are many different types of eye doctors. Choosing which one is dependent on what the problem is and what is the extent of the problem.
An optometrist is the most common type of eye doctor. They are tried to examine, diagnose, manage and treat some of the disorders and problems that affect the vision system. While they do have to have an undergraduate and graduate training in optometry they can only train some issues. They are not able to perform surgery and are not able to treat all disorders.
They do examine the internal and external structure of the organ and can detect diseases such as retinal detachment, cataracts, and glaucoma. They can treat disorders such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism. These are the physicians you would see to have your vision checked to determine issues as well as receive prescriptions for corrective lenses and medications for any related diseases. An optometrist can also administer low vision aides, vision therapy and exercises.
Another type of eye doctor is the ophthalmologist. This physician is specialized in the surgical and medical care of your vision system. They also specialize in the prevention of eye disease and injury. Unlike the optometrist these physicians do have to have their medical degree. An ophthalmologist can treat all vision related issues including examinations, medical and surgical care, diagnosis and treatment of all vision related diseases and other complications caused by non vision conditions, such as diabetes. While it may be common for some people to see an ophthalmologist these physicians are often seen after a referral from a general physician or an optometrist.
Among the eye doctors you will probably come into contact with an optician. This person is not a board certified physician specializing in visual care. Unlike both the optometrist and ophthalmologist this person only hast o have a two year technical degree. Their role is to assist the optometrist and ophthalmologist in providing care before, during and after the exam or other procedures. This person can analyze and interpret prescriptions, determine the lenses best suited for the patients needs, oversee ordering and verification of related products, dispense, replace, adjust, repair and reproduce previously ordered corrective lenses.
Often to figure out which eye doctor best suits your need you’ll have to go to either your general practitioner or an optometrist. If it is just for your routine yearly test an optometrist can do the job for you simply and easily. For more difficult cases such as glaucoma or cataracts you may be referred to an ophthalmologist. Because of ophthalmologists are highly specialized your insurance may required that you receive a referral prior to scheduling an appointment.