Our sense of sight is one of the most important senses we have and is used to understand and communicate with the world around us. You don’t realize how important having the clearest possible eyesight is until you begin to have vision problems. Safeguarding your eye health can help prevent limitations that are brought on by eye problems.
For your eye health and vision needs, there are two specialists that you will come across in your search: an optometrist and an ophthalmologist. Both are eye doctors, however, their training and experience allow them to treat different aspects of eye health. It always pays to know the right doctor to see for vision problems and other eye health-related concerns. To ensure you get the best eye doctor for your issue, let’s talk about the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist.
Optometrist
An optometrist is an eye doctor that provides vision care, which includes vision testing, eye examinations, the correction of vision problems using prescription glasses and contact lenses, and the treatment of certain eye diseases through medication. Optometrists can find out if patients have health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers, as these usually have effects on eye health.
Optometrists complete four-year studies in optometry school and most undergo a year of residency training. They receive a doctor of optometry (OD). With their training, optometrists can handle a range of eye and vision problems through medical and non-surgical means. They can also provide rehabilitation services to those who are in recovery from eye surgery. The extent to which an optometrist can prescribe medication is determined by state law.
Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (MD) who completed four years of medical school plus several years of residency training. An ophthalmologist can choose to specialize in a specific eye condition, such as glaucoma, which adds two more years of fellowship training to their experience.
Being medical doctors, ophthalmologists are highly qualified to provide all aspects of eye care and perform medical and surgical treatment if and when necessary. An ophthalmologist can treat the full range of eye conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, nearsightedness, crossed eyes, diabetic retinopathy, and more. Compared to an optometrist, an ophthalmologist can prescribe medication to patients.
You deserve nothing less than the best eye health services. You will likely need optometry and ophthalmology services throughout your life, so the best thing you can do is to seek out a practice that has both an optometrist and an ophthalmologist. That way, you don’t have to move from an optometrist office to an ophthalmologist office to receive comprehensive eye care.
Ophthalmologist and Optometrist in Washington and MO
At the Advanced Eye Center, we have an optometrist and ophthalmologist on our team, and together we bring you the highest quality and most comprehensive eye care services. Whether it’s vision problems from nearsightedness or health conditions, we have the skill, experience, and compassionate approach to give you the best possible outcomes.
To schedule an appointment with one of our eye doctors, call us today at (636) 239-1650 if you are in Washington. You can also use our easy to fill out appointment request form. We look forward to providing all your eye care and vision care needs!
