Caring for our eyes should always be important to us. There are many things we can do to help care for our eyes ourselves. But there are also different professionals who are highly trained and skilled in eye care. We may hear of the different titles that are given to these ones, but we may not know the vital role that each one plays. Opticians, ophthalmologists and optometrists all help to care for our eyes but all to different levels and degrees. So, you may ask, where can I find an optician, ophthalmologist or optometrist near me? And what exactly does each of these professions do?
Ok, so first up we have an optician. They will often be your first point of contact if you pop into a high street vision care store, or if you go to an optometrist’s office. They do receive training in eye care, but this is much more limited than the other roles we are discussing. Their job is more focused on routine eye care and not on illnesses or problems that people may suffer with concerning their eyes. There is a lot of customer service involved in their job role. And should you need glasses, they will be on hand to go through potential options, help you choose ones that suit your face, and measure and adjust them to fit you properly. If any general office work needs doing, they will also help with this.
What, then, of an ophthalmologist? An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor with many years of training behind them. If a serious operation needs to be performed, it is an ophthalmologist who will perform it. Because they are the only ones who can do this, this is what their role mostly entails. They will also help with post-surgery care should it be required.
So, now let’s talk about an optometrist. Their role can sometimes overlap with that of an ophthalmologist. They too may occasionally perform surgeries, but these will be more basic and straight forward procedures as they are more limited than an ophthalmologist in what they are qualified to do. An optometrist is involved in a more general eye care too. So they can cover everything from routine eye exams to treating eye conditions and giving out prescriptions on glasses and contact lenses to eye operations and after care as we have said. It is likely an optometrist you will see for any eye care, at least initially, and for any routine eye exams and checks.
By doing an internet search you will find optometrists near you who can offer you at least initial contact and care if you have any concerns about your eyes.
