Member Advice on Optical Care

I am a secretary in an eye center. We have four eye care professionals in our office: one opthalmologist, one optometrist, and two opticians.

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A quick lesson about the difference in these professionals:

~~~An opthalmologist is actually a medical doctor who has more years of education and training in eye diseases, eye care, general surgery of the eye, etc. Opthalmologists are generally the eye care professional of choice for problems such as glaucoma, cataracts, and other serious and long-lasting eye problems. Often an opthalmologist can perform cataract extractions, lasik eye surgeries, and removal of small tumors of the eye.

~~An optometrist is an important part of the eye care team. Optometrists are not medical doctors, they are doctors of optometry and have their own areas of speciality. Optometrists are usually the experts in low vision problems (e.g., macular degeneration. Often an optometrist can perform low vision examinations to determine the amount of vision left in one or both eyes. Upon performing the evaluation, he or she can then recommend adaptive equipment to help the patient return to reading, craft-making, etc.

Optometrists are also able to perform general eye examinations and write prescriptions for spectacles or contact lenses. They are also able to treat common problems such as conjunctivitis (pink eye) and corneal abrasions. An optometrist is also well able to handle minor eye emergencies including removal of foreign bodies from the eye and "welder's burn."

~~An optician is specialized in the interpretation of spectacle and contact lens prescriptions. They are also able to perform quick refractions to check your vision in each eye. Opticians must also properly measure for the pupillary distance between your eyes, bifocal height and style. It is also an optician's responsibility to make sure that your glasses fit properly. Opticians often make and cut lenses for your prescription. They fit lenses into glasses, as well as make repairs to broken glasses. Opticians are not required to be college graduates, but they do have to have specialized training in both the classroom and the laboratory in order to become certified in their field.

I cannot stress the importance of visiting our eye care professionals for regular eye examinations and check-ups. By doing this we are helping to save one of our most precious senses: the sense of sight.