Optician versus optometrist versus ophthalmologists (eye doctors), did you even know that there is a very distinctive difference? Well, for a vast majority of people, the answer is surprisingly “no”, even though ones eyes are such a crucial part of ones life and ability to live fully and enjoy to the fullest.
From the outset, one should always remember that every profession has its place and so whether optician, optometrist or ophthalmologist, all three have very special roles to play in maintaining the overall health of your eyes. However, knowing who to visit and when will help to save you a lot of time, money and effort.
Let’s start with opticians, who are untrained professionals whose role is to help you to find the perfect glasses frames to suit all elements of your personality, lifestyle, loves and so on; but, they are not able to do eye examinations or to treat eye problems – at all and ever! Opticians are usually found at offline retail stores as they provide a face to face service for customers buying eyeglasses. As the online world of glasses buying takes over, their roles are becoming redundant.
Then we have optometrists, who act as your primary eye care providers and have put effort into attaining a degree and special license to be a Doctor of Optometry. This kind of professional is able to fully test your eyes; both to update your eyeglasses prescription, and to detect more serious eye problems such as glaucoma, cataracts, detached retina and so on; as well as testing color perception, depth, and the ability to focus and coordinate the eyes. Therefore, your optometrist is able to diagnose, and in many cases, treat most optical problems and to adapt the necessary strengths for new eyeglasses or contact lenses. What an optometrist lacks is the ability to carry out surgery and so, for any big problems, he/she will refer you to a specialist, generally known as an ophthalmologist or eye doctor.
An ophthalmologist is a full medical doctor with a full Doctor of Medicine degree (M.D. or D.O.), extensive clinical training and a complete general knowledge of all medical issues. Although most people would choose to simply go to an ophthalmologist for all of their eye care needs, ophthalmologists rarely practice optometry and so, will not simply see a patient who wants to check their eyes for an updated prescription and he will not keep a supply of glasses and contact lenses; or order them in for patients. An ophthalmologist is able to practice surgery and is usually kept very busy operating on those with glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and other retinal problems, or helping patients to deal with the effects or after effects of these eye diseases. Most people who have ever been operated on by an ophthalmologist will need to see him for a annual check up to ensure that their eyes remain at their most optimal, possible.
So now the knowledge is yours and when next you have a problem with your eyes, you will not make a mistake on choosing the right eye professional to visit!