There are a lot of health care professionals trained to take care of the eyes. In this article, we will take a closer look at the three major kinds of health professionals adequately trained to diagnose and treat your eyes.
Opticians
Opticians are not doctors, but professionals who are trained to design, make, fit, and dispense eye devices to correct the eyesight. These devices include contact lenses, eyeglasses, ophthalmic prosthetics, and low-vision aids. Opticians practice their trade in different settings, including medical offices, hospitals, retail stores, malls, and eye care centers.
Their training varies and can consist of a two-year degree, a four-year degree, and on-the-job training. In the United States, they are registered with SAO or the Society of Advance Opticianry – a credentialing organization – have at lease four-year optical science degree with advanced certification and state licenses in designing, fitting, and dispensing eye devices and contact lenses.
Check out https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/qa/what-is-an-optician to find out more about being and Optician.
These professionals are not trained to diagnose and treat diseases related to the eyes. Still, they are appropriately suited to fit patients with vision aids or eyewear to correct their vision after the patient’s eye issues or vision loss have been appropriately diagnosed.
Optometrists
These professionals are licensed physicians who can diagnose and treat different eye conditions, as well as check the patient’s eyesight and prescribe various kinds of vision corrections. With years of postgraduate training in optometry (identical with an undergraduate medical degree), these professionals are called physicians or doctors of optometry. They are held to the same standards as other doctors.
Optometrists are required to pass national board examinations and receive additional education to stay updated on everything that was currently happening in the industry. In the United States, optometrists can perform eye examinations like the type that requires diagnosing severe diseases in the eye, including macular degeneration and glaucoma.
They are also allowed to prescribe and use topical medications like ointments and eye drops, as well as injectable drugs. In some states, optometrists can prescribe oral medications like antivirals, oral steroids, pain medications, and antibiotics for various eye problems.
These professionals can also be trained in any type of surgical method for things like corneal injury, foreign body removal, elimination of skin folds, and surface lesions in the eyes and surrounding areas, lacrimal (or tear duct) and eyelid diseases and other conditions related to the eyes.
Every state differs as to what procedures they can perform. In some areas in the United States, these professionals are allowed to perform laser surgeries. After their degree, some of these professionals complete a one to two-year hospital residency in specialized areas like optical care for geriatrics, Neuro-optometry, or ocular diseases that helps them to care for conditions in the eyes like macular degeneration and glaucoma.It’s important to know when it’s best to visit an eye doctor, Read more here.
Ophthalmologists
These professionals are physicians who received specialized training in physiology, diseases, and anatomy of the eye. In addition to the four-year medical degree they are required to finish, they need to complete a four-year hospital residency that focuses on the surgical and medical program in ophthalmology.
That is why they have to finish 12 years of college-level, as well as post-grad training compared to four years for opticians and eight years for optometrists. Ophthalmologists can be MDs (medical doctors) or DOs (doctor of osteopathy).
But regardless of the years, the training is all the same. Ophthalmologists are also required to get board-certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology or the American Board of Ophthalmology, as well as get licensed by the state where they are planning to practice.
As combined surgical-medical specialists, these professionals are adequately trained to perform medical operations. Still, not everyone conducts surgery in their practice, nor have every ophthalmologist are trained to do a laser surgery (although most of them are trained to do it).
Within the surgical-medical specialty of ophthalmology, there are a lot of specialists who possess advanced training and knowledge about certain parts of the human eyes like the cornea, optic nerve, or retina; or certain diseases like cataracts or glaucoma. Both diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration are treated by experts that specialize in the retina. Other ophthalmologists specialize in things like glaucoma genetics or ocular oncology. Usually, these specialized experts also do research and are connected to major hospitals, treatment facilities, or medical centers.
If a person is diagnosed with a rare, highly skilled, and aggressive condition that requires further treatment, or if a person is interested in participating in clinical trials, then one of them might be an excellent choice. If you live far away, these experts may be readily available for second opinions and consultations, or maybe they are willing to share their knowledge about their knowledge of the patient’s doctor.
