When you need to get your eyes examined, there are two different
categories of medically trained professionals who can help you. Both
an optometrist and an ophthalmologist are referred to as an eye doctor,
although their roles and training differ greatly.
An
optometrist is trained to test your vision to see if you are
nearsighted or farsighted. When you think of an eye doctor, this is
probably who you think of, although an optometrist has a “Doctor of
Optometry” degree rather than a medical doctor degree. An optometrist
can give you a test with an eye chart, and then determine your
prescription for contact lenses or glasses. He or she will also be
able to recognize symptoms of additional problems such as astigmatism,
color blindness, glaucoma, or cataracts, and will refer you to other
professionals as needed. When you visit an optometrist, you may need to
have your pupils dilated; this helps the optometrist see more of the
inside of your eye and make diagnoses accordingly. You should plan for
this when you have your eye doctor visit; bring sunglasses so that
afterwards the sunlight does not hurt your eyes. Pupil dilation can
also make it difficult to drive; you should arrange to have someone
pick you up from your exam, or wait until your pupils shrink back to
their normal size. This may seem inconvenient, but it is an important
part of your eye doctor visit.
An ophthalmologist has been
trained at medical school as a surgeon (in contrast to optometrists,
who cannot perform surgery). Eye problems other than vision correction
are usually referred to an ophthalmologist.
You should also be
aware that the professional who helps you at a glasses store is not an
eye doctor; this person is an optician, trained to fulfill lens
prescriptions from eye doctors. An optician can help you find the
right style of glasses for your face, and can ensure that you are given
the right kind of lenses, but an optician is not an eye doctor who can
make diagnoses.