Often people go to an optician and get their eye exams conducted. But, is it the right thing to do? If you have been going to the optician, you are making the wrong decision. Opticians can only help you find out the number of your glasses. But they cannot diagnose the problem causing vision loss and do not give you any prescription to resolve the problems. Many optometrists will ask you to get your glasses and lenses to check if they are apt for your problem. In this article, we have explained different eye specialists and their jobs to help you understand which eye doctor to see for a specific problem.
Opticians:
Opticians are only qualified to give you the proper pair of glasses or contact lenses prescribed by doctors. They take the prescription and help you to decide the quality and type of frames, lenses, or glasses. They will also measure your face to provide you with the apt size of glasses. However, they are not allowed to prescribe glasses, conduct eye exam or treat an eye problem. So if you have any eye problem then you must consult an optometrist, not an optician.
Ophthalmologist:
Ophthalmologists are proper eye specialists who provide eye and vision care. They are equipped to diagnose and treat eye problems. They are also eligible to perform eye surgeries. They are supposed to prescribe contact lenses and glasses to improve your vision. You can meet an ophthalmologist to treat conditions like Iritis, Glaucoma, Crossed Eyes, Squint, Burns, Eye Injury, Refractive Errors, Cataracts, Conjunctivitis, Dry Eyes, Eye Cancer, Strabismus, Vision Loss, Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Degeneration, Eye Floaters, Droopy Eyelids and more. Your ophthalmologist can also recommend you to see a subspecialist if he feels that you need any special care or treatment. Some common subspecialists for eyes are:
Cornea Specialist: He is supposed to treat the diseases that affect the condition of the cornea. They are also allowed to perform refractive surgeries like LASIK, or they can do a corneal transplant.
Retina Specialists: They diagnose or treat the issues that occur in the retina. For example, they can help in treating macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy.
Glaucoma Specialist: If excessive pressure in an eye is built, it damages the optic nerve, and this condition is known as glaucoma. Glaucoma can lead to vision loss that can be permanent. A glaucoma specialist will help you treat the condition, and he can also perform laser or regular surgery to treat glaucoma.
Neuro-ophthalmologists: They diagnose and treat eye problems that occur due to nerve or muscle disorders such as double vision, abnormal eye movements, optic nerve problems, eyelid abnormalities, squint, unequal pupil size, and vision loss.
Pediatric Specialist :
The doctors for elders and children are different. The pediatric eye specialist will treat the conditions in kids of all age groups. They help treat childhood eye conditions, prescribing proper nutrients for better care and development of the eyes.
Optometrist:
Optometrists can assist an ophthalmologist, and they prescribe corrective glasses or lenses for vision problems. They can help you determine visual acuity, and diagnose vision problems, such as presbyopia, astigmatism, and far or nearsightedness. They test the coordination of the eyes, the ability to focus, and the ability to see colors. However, they cannot prescribe medicines, and they cannot perform eye surgery.
These eye specialists can get your eyes tested and help you improve your health and condition. However, when choosing, make sure that an optometrist is well experienced, qualified, and has good reviews. Always get your eyes tested once a year to avoid any long-term issues.
コメント