Getting regular eye care is important in maintaining your sight and eye health. You need to select the right provider for your eye care to help you take care of your eyes throughout your lifetime. To choose the best provider you need to know the difference between an optometrist vs ophthalmologist.
What Is An Optometrist?
An optometrist is an eye doctor who has received a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. They are trained to diagnose refractive errors like myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism and prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses. Optometrists are trained in medical care of eye health so they can diagnose cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, conjunctivitis (pink eye) and eye emergencies. They can prescribe medications to treat eye diseases and conditions and can perform minor in-office surgical procedures like removal of foreign bodies (something stuck in the eye).
Notably, optometrists do not perform highly invasive surgeries like cataract surgery, refractive surgeries such as LASIK, or retinal surgeries. When an optometrist has a patient who needs surgery, they refer the patient to an ophthalmologist who specializes in surgery for the specific condition. Often the optometrist and the ophthalmologist surgeon will co-manage the patient during the treatment. For example, the ophthalmologist will perform the surgery and the optometrist will see the patient for follow up and track the progress of the treatment.
Optometrists also work closely with other physicians to help them with the care of their patients. For example, people with diabetes need regular monitoring for diabetic retinopathy. So their primary care doctor or endocrinologist will refer the patient to an optometrist for a retinal evaluation. Optometrists also work with rheumatologists to help patient’s with Lupus or Sjogrens Syndrome to manage their dry eyes.
Optometrist Training, Background, And Practice Type
Optometrists get a four year bachelor’s degree (at minimum) and then study four years of vision and eye health in optometry school. They learn human anatomy and physiology since your eye health is often directly tied to your general health. Optometrists get intensive training on vision and how to correct it with eyeglasses, contact lenses or other therapies.
They learn how to recognize and treat eye muscle problems such as strabismus and lazy eye. Finally, optometry students learn eye disease and treatment. Because they learn about eye health and vision during the duration of optometry school, optometrists can begin their eye care career immediately after graduating from optometry school and passing their board exams.
You might find optometrists in various types of practices. Most commonly people think of optometrists working in private practice. However, they might work in corporate settings, education to teach optometry or ophthalmology students, or serve in the military to provide eye care to active service members and veterans. Some optometrists work in hospitals to provide integrated care for patients with eye symptoms and vision related problems.
Many optometrists specialize in specific types of eye care. Examples include specialty contact lenses to correct Keratoconus, treatment of dry eyes, vision therapy, sports vision, orthokeratology or myopia control. Some doctors of optometry provide low vision services to patients who have greatly reduced vision from disease, birth defect or trauma.
What Is An Ophthalmologist?
An ophthalmologist is an eye doctor with Medical Doctor (MD) degree or Doctor of Osteopath (DO) degree. Much of the care an ophthalmologist provides crosses over with the services of an optometrist. While they may provide routine eye care, prescribe glasses and contact lenses, and prescribe medications, most ophthalmologists are surgeons that specialize in a particular part of the eye or disease. For example, they may specialize in cataract and glaucoma while others will specialize in retinal surgery.
Ophthalmologist Training Background, and Practice Type
Ophthalmologists take a different path through their training. Like the optometrist, they will start by getting an undergraduate degree. However the next step in their training is medical school where they will become trained as a general medical doctor. At this point, they have very little training that is specialized in eye care since they have to study all of the various systems in the body.
Immediately after graduating medical school the provider is not ready to provide ophthalmic care yet. First they complete a one year internships and then must complete a three year residency, at which time they learn their specialty eye training and often ocular surgery.
For the most part, ophthalmologists work in the same types of practice as optometrists. Most commonly they work in their private office or in a hospital setting. Like optometrists, they also work as educators to train optometry and ophthalmology students or serve in the military to provide eye care. Frequently, ophthalmologists will work side by side with optometrists in the same practice setting.
Optometrist vs Ophthalmologist… Which Doctor Should I see?
Finding the right eye doctor for your needs can save you time and money. When seeking eye care you should select a doctor who has the training and experience to provide the appropriate type of care that you need. Imagine if you have mildly elevated blood pressure. You could see the care of a cardiothoracic surgeon, but seeking a specialist is not needed when your primary care physician is perfectly capable of treating your hypertension.
In general, optometrists provide nearly all types of eye care that is needed for many patients. Optometrists can not only provide routine care and optical corrections like glasses and contacts, but they are fully capable to diagnose and treat diseases like glaucoma, conjunctivitis, corneal ulcers, strabismus, foreign bodies and uveitis.
When you need surgical intervention for your eye health then you should seek the care of an ophthalmologist. They specialize in surgical care of conditions like retinal detachment, cataracts, macular degeneration and glaucoma. When an optometrist has a patient who needs surgery, they will refer the patient to the appropriate surgeon depending on the condition that needs advanced treatment.
Knowing the differences between an optometrist vs ophthalmologist help you select the best eye doctor for your needs. In many cases, you could easily see either type of provider. However, finding the doctor who is most appropriate for the level of care you need can often save you time, be less expensive and provide an overall more satisfying experience.