CHOOSING AN EYE DOCTOROphthalmologist Carolina Valdivia, MD provides tips on choosing an eye doctor to help patients make informed decisions about where to seek care. Where do you go when you are experiencing difficulty with your eyesight or other problems with your eyes? Depending on the extent of the problem, your answer may vary. There are different types of eye care professionals, each with its own area of concentration. These include an ophthalmologist, an optometrist, and an optician. WHAT IS AN OPHTHALMOLOGISTOphthalmologists are medical doctors that specialize in the medical and surgical care of the eyes and visual system, and also the prevention and treatment of eye disease and injury. Ophthalmologists are trained to examine the internal and external structures of the eyes to detect diseases, such as glaucoma, retinal detachment, cataracts, pinguecula and pterygium, and to prescribe medications or conduct surgical procedures to treat these and other problems. When in doubt about which type of eye care professional to see, it would be best to start by visiting an ophthalmologist. As a qualified specialist, an ophthalmologist is licensed by a state or provincial regulatory board to diagnose, treat and manage conditions affecting the eye and visual system. An ophthalmologist is qualified to deliver total eye care, including vision services, eye examinations, medical and surgical eye care, diagnosis and treatment of disease, and treatment of visual complications that are caused by other conditions, like diabetes.
WHAT IS AN OPTOMETRIST?Optometrists are doctors of optometry (OD). They are trained to examine, diagnose, treat, and manage some diseases and disorders of the eye and visual system. The optometrist has completed pre-professional undergraduate education and four years of professional education at an accredited college of optometry. In addition, some optometrists may have completed a one-year optional residency in a specialized area. Optometrists have not attended medical school. Like ophthalmologists, optometrists are trained to examine the internal and external structure of the eyes to detect diseases such as glaucoma, retinal detachment, and cataracts. However, optometrists do not perform eye surgery and are not trained to care for and manage all diseases and disorders of the eyes. The optometrist is trained to diagnose and treat vision conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia. They may also test a person's ability to focus and coordinate the eyes and see depth and colors accurately.Optometrists are licensed by states or provincial authorities to examine the eyes to determine the presence of vision problems and visual acuity, prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses, eye exercises, low vision aids, vision therapy, and medications to treat eye diseases.
WHAT IS AN OPTICIAN?Opticians are eye care professionals who work with ophthalmologists and optometrists to provide vision services related to the diagnosis and treatment of vision problems and eye disease. They assist ophthalmologists and optometrists in providing complete patient care before, during, and after exams, procedures and surgeries. With a two-year technical degree, opticians analyze and interpret eye prescriptions; determine the lenses that best meet a persons needs; oversee ordering and verification of eye-related products from start to finish; dispense, replace, adjust, repair and reproduce previously ordered contact lenses, eyeglasses and frames. Eye health is the result of a working partnership between you and your eye care provider. Ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians work collectively and with the patient to ensure good eye health and life-long vision.
HOW DO I FIND AN EYE DOCTOR?If you are looking for an eye doctor, a good place to start is to ask for recommendations from family and friends. If they give you a name, be sure to ask them why they like that particular eye doctor. Additionally, the American Academy of Ophthalmology has an excellent tool to assist you in locating an ophthalmologist any where worldwide. To use this tool effectively, I recommend that you first choose only the country where you live and initiate a search. This will give you an idea about the number of ophthalmologists that are contained in this resource for your country. For some countries, there may only be a few listings. On the other hand, if the number is large, then you can restrict your search by city and/or subspecialty. If you live in the USA, you also can restrict your search by state and/or zip code. By clicking on the names of ophthalmologists listed in the results, you can obtain contact information and, in many cases, directions to their offices. Once you have the names of a few eye care professionals, call them in order to obtain more information. Things to ask include:
Once you find an eye doctor that meets your needs, schedule an appointment so that you can meet and talk to her or him. I recommend that you make a list of questions that you would like to ask in advance and bring it with you to the appointment. During the appointment, make sure that:
Keep in mind that it takes time to build a relationship with your eye doctor.
A number of visitors have written to me asking for recommendations pertaining to eye-care products and books for obtaining more information. I have joined with Amazon.com to create a dependable resource for books and products. You can find these materials at the Eye-Care Store. Return from Find An Eye Doctor to Glaucoma Information
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An ophthalmologist has completed four years of pre-medical undergraduate education, four years of medical school, one year of internship, and three or more years of specialized medical and surgical training in eye care.