Why is it important to see an eye doctor?
Just as a primary care doctor meets your routine acute health needs, keeps you up-to-date on important preventive screenings, and tracks your medical history over time, an eye doctor provides:
- Comprehensive eye exams
- Routine eye disease screenings
- Regular vision testing
- Corrective lens prescriptions and fittings
- Acute and urgent eye care
An eye doctor also keeps track of and gets to know your ocular health history through time, putting them in an ideal position to detect minor changes and catch problems early on, before they have a chance to develop into major problems or affect your vision.
What are the two types of eye doctor?
There are two different types of eye doctors: optometrists and ophthalmologists. Although both are trained to perform comprehensive eye exams and vision screenings, and both are also trained to detect, evaluate, and treat or manage eye disease, ophthalmologists have additional, specialized training that enables them to perform eye surgery.
To determine which type of eye doctor best suits your needs, it’s important to understand what makes them different:
Optometrist
An optometrist is an eye doctor who has earned a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree, which requires them to complete a four-year college degree program in the sciences, followed by four years of postgraduate professional training in optometry school.
Optometrists are trained to examine your eyes for vision problems and health issues. They prescribe corrective lenses (eyeglasses and contact lenses) to address refractive errors and can provide low-vision care, prescribe medication, and preside over vision therapy when needed.
Although optometrists aren’t trained to perform eye surgery, they can provide pre- and post-operative care if you have eye surgery performed by an ophthalmologist.
Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist is an MD — or a DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine) — specializing in eye and vision care. In addition to completing four years of college and four years of medical school, an ophthalmologist must also complete a one-year internship and a three-year hospital residency in ophthalmology.
Like optometrists, they’re trained to perform eye and vision exams, provide corrective lens prescriptions, diagnose and treat eye disease, and prescribe medication. Their extra training enables them to perform surgery and provide highly specialized eye care.
Which type of eye doctor is best for me?
Because optometrists are equipped to handle all aspects of eye and vision care apart from surgery, they’re well-suited to meet the day-to-day eye care needs of most patients. They’re also ideally positioned to refer their patients to an ophthalmologist when surgery is needed, or when an unusually severe eye condition or disorder requires more specialized care.
To schedule a visit with one of the experienced optometrists at Benjamin Optical, call your nearest office or book an appointment online today.
