You should know that there are different kinds of eye care specialists whom you can visit. Some of them are Opticians, Optometrists, and Ophthalmologists. Each of them serve different purposes and they treat different kind of problems that you might be facing with your eye sight. In short, an optometrist is a doctor who can examine and treat your eyes. But, they cannot perform any eye surgery or prescribe any medicine for your eyes.
The optician is a professional who helps you to find the right eye glasses and contact lenses. On the other hand, an ophthalmologist is medical professional who perform medical and surgical interventions. So, each of them have their own set of responsibilities. Today, we are going to talk about the differences between an Optometrist and Ophthalmologist.
Who is an optometrist?
An optometrist is the primary health care professional who can offer routine eye care to their patients. They deploy different techniques to study your case history, and then try to deliver the right set of treatment. They follow additional steps to make sure that the kind of treatment you are going to receive is as per your health and wellness. You can visit an optometrist to get a regular eye examination and to change your eyeglass. They can even describe you the right medicines that will help you to treat eye problems. But,they cannot prescribe such medicines and they can help you to consult an Ophthalmologist if required. They are not surgical specialist but they can help you to deal with your day-to-day eye care problems.
Top services offered by them –
Here are the top services offered by them –
- Annual or routine eye examination, including eye health training
- Diagnosis of different eye diseases
- Right version of glasses, contact lenses, and other visual aids
- Effective medical treatment for minor eye disorders
- Eye care after surgery
- They can prescribe the right medicines that are crucial for certain conditions.
- Some of them can even perform minor surgeries if they have the license.
Who is an Ophthalmologist?
An ophthalmologist, unlike an Optometristis a medical doctor who can specialize in surgical eye procedures. They deliver the right surgical treatment that you will require for proper eye care. Many of them are even associated to extensive eye care research and studies that would deliver the best results to their patients. They have the proper licenses to carry out extensive surgeries. They are involved in the overall diagnosis and management of internal and external eye care and vision disorders. Ophthalmologists can also provide ophthalmic surgical training.
Top services provided by them –
Here is a list of all the services that they offer –
- Advanced & basic optometry services
- Extensive medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases
- High quality after-care support and rehabilitation facilities
- Proper medications for eye care
- They have the equipment to document a patient’s eye and track them to offer the best eye care over long term
- They administer the right medications
So, here are some of the major differences that exist between an Optometrist and Ophthalmologist. Each of them have some specialty of their own and over time, you will need the support of both these professionals. They deliver the best eye care and treatment to their patients. Depending on your current eye and vision disorders, you have to choose between two of them.
To choose the best optometrist, you can search such eye clinics online. Make sure, you must check their qualification, experience level and reviews before you consult.