You have probably heard the terms optometrist, Ophthalmologist, and Optician in regards to eye care, but you may not know exactly what job each of them does. The most common doctor that most people probably see for eye care is an optometrist in Colorado Springs CO area. An optometrist is an eye care professional who does a number of different things to help you achieve the best sight possible, and those are discussed below.
The optometrist has a Doctor of Optometry degree (often called OD for short) that they went to a special optometry school following college for. An Optometrist, while referred to as a doctor, is not a Medical Doctor like your primary care physician, however they are certainly highly educated in their specific field of eye care during their four years of optometry school.
The job of an optometrist usually involves all types of basic eye care. This will usually encompass basic eye exams (at least once per year,) vision testing, prescribing eyeglasses, prescribing contact lenses, and treating some of the less severe diseases of the eye. The Optometrist in Colorado Springs CO does not perform surgical procedures on the eye in most cases, but if surgery is necessary to correct serious eye deformities or issues, the optometrist will usually refer the patient to an Ophthalmologist, who is a Medical Doctor that focuses on surgery of the eye.
Your visit to the optometrist will usually begin with some basic eye tests. The purpose of these tests is to find out how much, if any, vision loss that you have. If you have been to the same optometrist before, they will be comparing your results against previous eye test results so that any changes can be noted. If you need vision correction, your optometrist will help you try on a variety of different lens strengths so that you can tell them when you see as clearly as possible.
You will usually be given the option of glasses or contacts, and some patients like to get both and alternate them. If you choose contacts, remember that they do have very specific care instructions, and you should always strictly follow the optometrist’s orders to avoid eye damage!
Meet an optometrist .
