Committed to Eye Care with Compassion, Technology and Competency
Committed to Eye Care with Compassion, Technology and Competency
5/12/2021
Do you know that there are mainly two types of eye doctors? They are called ophthalmologists and optometrists. There is no doubt that ophthalmologists and optometrists both play an essential role in providing good eye care to you. However, the level of expertise and training for each of these eye doctor types are quite different. Therefore, whom should you approach when it's time to get your eyes checked?
Here's some valuable information about these types of eye doctors that will help you distinguish among them. It will help you make an informed decision, i.e., who should you approach when someone dear to you is suffering from an eye disease.
A medical doctor who specializes in vision care and the eye is called an ophthalmologist. They differ from optometrists in what they can diagnose, treat, and their level of training. They have completed medical college studies and at least 4-7 years of ophthalmology residency training, depending on the medical school and curriculum. A licensed ophthalmologist is eligible to practice medicine as well as surgery. They can diagnose and treat all types of eye diseases, carry out eye surgery, and prescribe contact lenses and eyeglasses to correct vision problems. Some ophthalmologists are even involved in scientific research on the cures for vision disorders.
They offer complete eye care services like:
An optometrist can be thought of as someone who takes care of the primary health of your eye. After college, they typically spent four years in a professional program to get a bachelor in optometry degree. Some optometrists also get additional clinical training or a special fellowship after optometry school.
They focus on regular vision care services such as
The answer to this question depends on your preferences. If you need primary eye care, an optometrist is a better choice. If required, they may refer you to an ophthalmologist. In contrast, if you need treatment for critical conditions like cataract surgery or glaucoma, seeing an ophthalmologist might be more appropriate.
Always keep in mind that one type of eye doctor is in no way superior to the other. Typically, they both work together to achieve good eye health for you.
Optometrists can help you get a vision test, get contact lenses, or get prescription glasses. They can also help you with vision therapy and eye exams. Skilled optometrists can also detect critical eye injuries and diseases in a patient and refer them to the necessary specialists, usually an ophthalmologist, for a definitive diagnosis. Optometrists are good at diagnosing and treating farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism.
Optometrists have a license to perform eye exams. They are trained to find and treat certain eye conditions. They can also perform pre-op and post-op care. However, they are not medical doctors, so they do not perform the surgery to remove cataracts. Only ophthalmologists perform cataract surgery.
Theoretically, the answer to this question is yes. Any optometrist can become an ophthalmologist with the appropriate education and training in ophthalmology. However, we rarely see people doing this, as optometry is an extensive area of practice with immense opportunities.
An ophthalmologist is qualified to diagnose and treat all eye diseases and prescribe contact lenses and eyeglasses to correct your vision problems. They can also conduct eye surgeries if needed.
Netralayam is one of the best eye hospitals in Kolkata. If you are looking for the best ophthalmologists in Kolkata, we would be among the preferable options. Please give us a call or book an online appointment with our expert eye doctors today itself.
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