Choosing an eye doctor is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. It is not like choosing which football team to cheer for. If the football team loses the tournament, you have nothing to lose. You might be sad for a while, maybe shed a tear or two, but that’s just as bad as it would ever get. But choosing a good eye doctor can have a great impact on your vision in the long-term, positively or negatively. Check here to know more about different eye doctors.
It is sad, however, to find that most people do take this very seriously. They do not take good care of their eyes until they start having trouble with their vision. Having an eye doctor would save you years of pain and regret in the future. When you have a good eye doctor, and pay regular visits to them, you can spot and treat any conditions long before they become very severe. An eye doctor can advise you on lifestyle to avoid that may be damaging your eyes, and also encourage on how to properly care for your eyes. Those (and many more) are what an eye doctor can do for you.
Before you can go about choosing an eye doctor, you need to be enlightened on a few things first. It is one thing to desire to see an eye doctor; it is another thing to know which of the eye doctors you need at any point in time. Just like there are different types of soldiers: Army, navy, marines, and air force, there are also different types of eye doctors. So, the first thing you need is to know the types of eye doctors and the difference between them. And they all start with the letter “O”.
An Optometrist
You probably have heard or seen this term and wondered what it meant. Well, wonder no more. An optometrist is an eye doctor who is trained to diagnose eye conditions through careful and systematic examinations. They can also fix refractive errors by prescribing appropriate eyewear and provide vision therapy as well as low vision care.
Optometrists, in some countries like the United States, are allowed to write prescriptions for medication to treat some eye diseases. They can also provide pre- and post-operative eye care if you have a surgical procedure done by an ophthalmologist.
An Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist is also an eye doctor like the optometrist. Like the optometrist they can conduct examinations for your eyes, diagnose and treat eye problems, prescribe drugs/eyewear, and carry out surgical procedures on your eyes. That last bit is what separates the ophthalmologist from the optometrist. Although some optometrists can carry out eye surgery in very exceptional cases, but they aren’t trained for it generally. Ophthalmologists are trained much like medical doctors. Let’s put it into an easy perspective: optometrists are to ophthalmologists what dentists are to oral surgeons, get it? Both optometrists and ophthalmologists require a license in order to operate.
An Optician
It may be somewhat weird or just plain wrong to put opticians on this list because they are not doctors. However, opticians are very important in the world of eye care. They are the one who help you make sense of the eyewear prescription given to you by your optometrist or ophthalmologist. They design and dispense eyewear including contact lenses. Do you live in Fort Meyers and need to see an eye doctor? You can visit sites like https://www.quigleyeye.com to schedule an appointment now.
Which Eye Doctor Should You See?
Basically, this is a personal choice. You could choose any of the first two: An optometrist or ophthalmologist as they both perform similar duties. Except in the instance where you need special medical or surgical attention. If you find yourself in that situation you would need the services of a highly trained ophthalmologist. Optometrists can manage cases such as common eye infections or dry eyes and even chronic conditions like glaucoma. However, for severe eye defects which may require surgical attention you need to see a well-trained ophthalmologist.
Another very important thing to remember is that not all eye doctors are created the same. And what we mean is that some eye doctors are highly educated and skilled in handling a particular or a group of related eye problems. They may decide to become specialists in tackling conditions they feel passionate about. This means that they would know more about that condition than their average counterparts. Ophthalmologists and optometrists can work together to help you manage your eye problems. This arrangement (called co-management) is beneficial to you as the optometrist would refer you to the ophthalmologist if you need special attention beyond his scope of operation. So instead of you going out there to find an ophthalmologist by yourself, your optometrist could use his professional network to your advantage.
To read more on topics like this, check out the health category.
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