The type of issue you have with your eyes dictates the type of eye care specialist you should see to address the problem. Many people think the prefix ‘opti’ means that any professional having that prefix in their job title can solve your eye problems. But three different professions share the ‘opti’ prefix, and they each serve different facets of eye care.
Opticians Fit Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses
Opticians are optical technicians. Their title is a combination of the two words. They are the people to visit when you have broken your existing eyeglasses, or lost them but still have the vision prescription the optician can refer to in making your replacement lenses.
These eye care specialists can make you a pair of eyeglasses in any style you want, but they can’t test your eyes to find out your vision problems. They can also supply you with contact lenses that fit your eye nicely, but they’re not the ones that determine your lenses correction qualities.
The reason these eye care specialists are often confused with eye doctors is partly because of the ‘opti’ prefix in their title and partly because they are often confused with optometrists, who can test your eyes and prescribe treat certain eye problems. Opticians and optometrists also often work together in the same facility, which can add to the confusion.
Optometrists Test Eyes and Treat Minor Eye Problems
If you have your eyes tested in a commercial eye-wear shop, like you would find in shopping centre or mall, your eyes are most likely being tested by an optometrist. An optometrist is an eye care professional who has completed a university undergraduate degree, and then gone on to complete four years of professional training and earned a doctor of optometry degree.
Optometrists administer eye tests and issue eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions based on those tests. An optometrist can also diagnose and treat everyday eye problems and conditions such as pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis.
Optometrist are not medical doctors. Theirs is a very specific field that has certain boundaries. When a person asks them about an eye problem that they are not qualified to treat, they refer the person to an ophthalmologist.
Ophthalmologists are the Medical Professional of Eye Care
When you need the services of medically certified eye care specialist, you generally head to a hospital or clinic. There are the places where most ophthalmologists practice. These eye doctors often perform eye surgery such corneal transplants to fix cataracts, and LASIK surgery to improve a patient’s vision.
They also can be involved in research and improvements in existing techniques, teaching other ophthalmology students, and publishing studies on eye care.
Knowing what type of eye care specialists treat each area of eye care save you time in finding the type of eye care specialist who can help you with your issue. An organisation like the International Specialist Eye Centre in Kuala Lumpur or an optometrist downtown toronto can provide you with any type of eye care specialist you need.
Call them and make an appointment. They can easily provide you with the right professional to deal with any eye issue you have, quickly and professionally.
