Choosing the right type of eye specialist—an ophthalmologist, optometrist, or optician—for your eyecare needs may not be an easy decision if you don’t understand the differences between these professionals. Learn about who to visit for an eye exam, vision test, glasses and contacts, or more serious eye conditions and whether you need an ophthalmologist vs. optometrist.
Ophthalmologists. Optometrists. Opticians. While there are a variety of eyecare professionals who can help you with everything from diagnosing eye conditions to getting fitted for contact lenses, finding the right professional for your needs is an important first step. Each eyecare provider performs specific roles in caring for your vision and eye health. However, there is a marked difference in the level of training and areas of expertise for each. Here, we help shed light on what each eye specialist does and which one you should visit.
An optometrist is an eyecare professional with a four-year undergraduate degree followed by a four-year post-graduate degree called Doctor of Optometry, abbreviated as OD. In some cases, optometrists complete an additional year of residency in order to specialize in an eyecare subspecialty such as pediatric or geriatric optometry.
At your appointment with an optometrist, you can receive a comprehensive medical eye exam, vision test, and, if necessary, a prescription for eyeglasses or contacts. In addition, an optometrist can help manage, monitor, and treat early and straightforward cases of certain eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and cataracts.
Optometrists are not medical doctors. For complex or serious eye conditions and for surgical management, an optometrist will refer a patient to an ophthalmologist.
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (MD) or a doctor of osteopathy (DO). After four years of undergraduate studies and four years of medical school, they complete a four-year ophthalmology residency. Some ophthalmologists go on to complete a one or two-year fellowship to specialize in, for example, glaucoma, cornea, or neurology.
Ophthalmologists can cover all your eyecare needs, from vision tests to cataract surgery and everything in between. In addition to providing the same services as an optometrist, they diagnose and treat all eye conditions, perform eye surgeries, and help with rehabilitation after eye surgery. Ophthalmologists also treat and manage eye conditions that are related to other health issues and diseases such as diabetes or arthritis.
If you need laser eye surgery or intraocular (i.e. inside the eye) surgery, an ophthalmologist is the right choice. An ophthalmologist can also help treat or manage serious eye conditions such as advanced macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy.
An optician is a licensed corrective eyewear technician that receives special training and a one or two-year certificate to fit and fill your eyeglass or contact prescription. They are not doctors and can’t perform eye exams or diagnose eye disease.
An optician works in an eye doctor’s office or at an optical retail store and will assist you with the eyeglass or contact lens prescription you received from an optometrist or ophthalmologist. They may begin by recommending the best frame for your face. Then they’ll take care of ordering your contacts or eyeglasses and help fit them once they arrive. Opticians can also readjust and repair glasses.
Before choosing an eyecare professional, think about your specific needs and the type of expertise that’s required. Here are a few things to consider:
Once you have an idea of the right type of eye doctor for you, ask friends, family and other doctors that you trust for recommendations in your area.
Taking good care of your eyes and your overall health can go a long way toward preventing age-related eye conditions. Eating an eye-healthy diet that includes lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables slows down the formation of cataracts and reduces your risk of macular degeneration. Getting plenty of exercise and maintaining a healthy weight can prevent diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure--both of which affect vision and eye health. And while you may not be able to prevent the presbyopia (and need for reading glasses) that comes with getting older, your eyecare professional can make sure you get the correct vision correction to see clearly.
The sun’s rays contain damaging ultraviolet (UV) light. The same UV rays that burn your skin and lead to skin cancer also affect your eyes. Staring directly into strong sunlight can damage the retina. And repeated sun exposure over time can lead to cataracts, benign growths on the eyes and even eye cancer. Protect your eyes anytime you’re in the sun by wearing sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays.
Some people claim that by correcting your vision with prescription glasses or contacts, you’re weakening your eyes—which then leads to worse vision. Their “proof” is that after wearing your corrective prescription for a while, your vision appears blurrier when you’re not wearing it. But that’s likely because you’re now used to seeing the world in clear, crisp detail—and in contrast, your uncorrected vision appears fuzzier. Getting the proper vision correction for your eyes is essential for your eye health. Don’t try to tough it out if you can’t see clearly. Visit your eyecare professional for an in-person or virtual vision screening.
Not having a bright enough light may make it harder to clearly see the words on the page, but it won’t damage your eyes or permanently impact your vision. Because you’re straining to see, you might get a headache or other symptoms of eyestrain. If you want to read in bed without illuminating the entire bedroom, get a reading light that provides just enough brightness to see your book clearly.
LASIK surgery corrects your distance vision only, so people who are nearsighted benefit most from it. But LASIK doesn’t affect the lens of the eye, the part that helps you focus up close. As you get older, changes to the lens impact your ability to see close up. So even if you have LASIK in your 20s or 30s, you’ll most likely still need reading glasses by the time you hit your 40s or 50s.
Having your face right up next to the bright screen may give you a headache or even cause some temporary eyestrain or fatigue, but it won’t damage your vision. Children are more prone to this behavior than adults—which may be because children can focus close up better than adults can. But if your child can only see the television clearly when sitting close (and has to hold other things close to see them clearly), they may be nearsighted. Taking your child to an eyecare professional for a vision exam will help determine if they need glasses to see clearly.
Most eyecare professionals recommend removing—and thoroughly cleaning—your contacts every night. Even if you use extend-wear lenses that are approved for use a week or month at a time, it’s always safer to give your eyes a nightly break. Your contacts are more likely to accumulate bacteria when you leave them in 24/7, and that can lead to eye infections. Sleeping in your contacts also prevents essential oxygen from getting to your corneas. If you must sleep in your contacts, make it a once-in-a-while event and ask your eyecare provider about contacts that are specially formulated to let more oxygen through.
Carrots (along with other vegetables like sweet potatoes and dark leafy greens) contain high amounts of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for eye health, and a deficiency of the nutrient is the leading cause of childhood blindness in developing countries. In the U.S., vitamin A deficiency is rare, and few people get so little it could impact their eyesight. Also, there’s no evidence that beta-carotene affects the sharpness of your vision or can prevent near or farsightedness. So while getting lots of beta-carotene in your diet may help keep your eyes healthy, no amount of carrots is going to actually improve your vision and allow you to toss out your glasses or contacts.
The jury is still out on how effective blue light glasses are for eyestrain. One recent study found they made no difference in eyestrain symptoms during a two-hour-long computer task. But some experts feel they may help alleviate eyestrain and fatigue during prolonged, cumulative screen time. Either way, blue glasses alone won’t solve the problem of too much screen time. The best way to reduce eyestrain is to limit screen time and take frequent breaks when you do need to spend several hours at your computer.
The jury is still out on how effective blue light glasses are for eyestrain. One recent study found they made no difference in eyestrain symptoms during a two-hour-long computer task. But some experts feel they may help alleviate eyestrain and fatigue during prolonged, cumulative screen time. Either way, blue glasses alone won’t solve the problem of too much screen time. The best way to reduce eyestrain is to limit screen time and take frequent breaks when you do need to spend several hours at your computer.
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