Many people
think all eye doctors the same. They use the terms Optometrist and
Ophthalmologist interchangeably. The truth is that these are two very different
types of eye care professionals.
Optometrists
Optometrists
have earned a Doctor of Optometry Degree (OD). Optometrists have completed a
four-year Bachelor’s Degree, plus four years of post-graduate professional
training in optometry school. Their main focus is to provide primary eye care,
including vision checks, eye disease diagnosis and overall eye health review.
They prescribe corrective lenses to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and
astigmatism, and they can prescribe some medications. Optometrists often work
closely with ophthalmologists to provide pre- and post-op care for eye surgery
patients.
Ophthalmologists
Ophthalmologists
are Medical Doctors (MDs) or Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) who have achieved
a Bachelor’s Degree, four years of medical school encompassing care for the
whole body, internships, at least three years of hospital-based residency and
additional years of training in eye disease treatment and eye surgery. Ophthalmologists
diagnose and treat eye diseases, perform eye surgery, perform eye exams and
write prescriptions for medications or corrective lenses.
Certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma,
cataracts or macular degeneration, are managed and corrected by
ophthalmologists. Eye surgeries such as LASIK or Cataract Surgery and
Intraocular Lens (IOL) implants should only be done by an eye surgeon who is
highly experienced and using the latest technologies.
Frequent eye exams, even if you aren’t
experiencing any vision problems, can provide early detection – and treatment –
of developing issues.
Visit the
website of ophthalmologist Dr. Davis at Davis Eye Center to schedule a Vision Consultation in Akron.
Visit daviseyecenter.com or call 330-923-5676 today.