Do you think you have some kind of issue with your eyes?
and looking for how much are Progressive Lens cost?
Well, the chances are that you’ve probably then thought about whether you need to get them checked out. But who do you go see?
The two most common types of eye doctors are optometrists and ophthalmologists. But what’s the difference?
Well, the ophthalmologist vs optometrist debate is a long one, and many people are still confused about it. So, this article seeks to set the record straight. Therefore, we will get right into the optometrist vs ophthalmologist differences and give you guidance on who you should go see for your type of eye issue.
What Is an Ophthalmologist?
So, to get the ophthalmologist vs optometrist debate settled, we need to look in detail at what each one does. First off: the ophthalmologist.
The first thing to know about ophthalmologists is that they are trained in medicine. This means they have undertaken a standard medical degree, just like other types of doctors, and have then gone on to do specialist training relating to eye conditions.
An ophthalmologist generally deals with diseases of the eye. There are many different types of eye diseases, ranging from glaucoma infections to degenerative blindness.
Unlike an optometrist, an ophthalmologist is often required to do surgery on eye diseases to deal with an underlying issue. They may also give you medicines to resolve any diseased eye tissue.
What Is an Optometrist?
An optometrist is someone who provides health care but is not necessarily a doctor. Traditionally, optometrists have mainly had to do with prescribing people with glasses. But you can check out this article on “7 Signs You Should See an Optometrist” to work out if your symptoms match.
Glasses are required when you have a refractive error in your eyesight. In other words, light is not passing through your sight mechanism directly but is being incorrectly refracted at some point.
Eyeglasses work by correcting the refraction of light entering your eyes so that you can see clearly. But an optometrist usually stops at this sort of treatment, and will not go on to do surgery like an ophthalmologist.
An optometrist will also have a good idea of common eye diseases and may provide medicinal treatment for these. However, if the condition is severe, they are likely to direct you to an ophthalmologist.
Ophthalmologist vs Optometrist: How to Choose an Eye Doctor?
So, now we can answer the big question.
Well, you should decide on what type of eye doctor you need to see by examining your own symptoms. If you are suffering from poor vision, a good place to start is probably an optometrist.
However, if you are experiencing other symptoms such as eye discoloration or pain, you are probably better off starting with an ophthalmologist.
Get Your Eyes Looked at Early!
Hopefully, you now have a good understanding of the ophthalmologist vs optometrist debate. You should know who your first point of contact will be.
But the last thing to remember is that, whichever eye doctor you go see, you should go and see them early! Eye conditions can often get worse quickly and leave you with lasting damage. So, don’t wait!
If you’ve found this information useful, why not check out some of our other great articles on health topics on the website?
