The Optometrist versus The Ophthalmologist

Many people think that when they go to the doctor for their eyes there is just one type of physician. In fact there are many different specialists who deal with these incredibly complex and fascinating organs. First of all most of us are familiar with the optometrist. We know these as the people who we see when we think we may need glasses or if we are not sure why it is that it is getting harder to read the newspaper. The other type that often gets overlooked is called an ophthalmologist. While both of these medical professionals deal with the same part of the body they are not the same thing.

An optometrist is someone who is licensed and trained to be able to provide primary types of eye care. They complete their education in a school of optometry so as to be able to provide myriad services. This means examining the eyes of their patients for diseases like cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal deterioration. They also can sometimes diagnose diseases that affect the whole body. For instance diabetes has an effect on eyesight, as does high blood pressure, or hypertension.

Of course, the primary job we seek an optometrist for is the diagnosis and treatment of vision related ailments. These include difficulty-seeing things far away, which we call nearsightedness. It also includes difficulty seeing things close up but still being able to see far away. We call this condition far sightedness. These doctors can also correct astigmatism with glasses. There is another condition that many people have as they age and that is called presbyopia. This technical word means that as we get older we have a harder time focusing. This is what causes people with basically good vision to need to use reading glasses in order to bring things close to their face in to shaper contrast.

An ophthalmologist does all of the things that an optometrist does but they are in fact medical doctors. They go to medical school and then do a residency purely relating to the eye. After their residency they sometimes opt to do subspecialty training. These doctors are able to do a number of procedures that an optometrist cannot. For example they can deal with diseases that affect the cornea and other exterior parts of the eye. From the eyelid to the cornea they can address diseases and infections. They also have training in how to properly perform transplants or corrective surgery.

Additionally they may perform surgery on any other of a number of areas of these organs. They may perform plastic surgery to repair defects in placement. Many times they will do operations to repair damage caused by trauma or disease. Ophthalmologists also are able to work on the connection between the brain and the optic nerve. Sometimes brain injury can cause blindness or other vision defects and these specialists are able to go in and attempt to repair the damage.