Eye Doctors

What's The Difference Between An Optician, Optometrist and Ophthalmologist?

• Opticians - Opticians fill prescriptions for eyeglasses, including assembling, fitting and selling them. Some opticians also sell and fit contact lenses.
• Optometrists - Optometrists provide many of the same services as ophthalmologists, such as evaluating your vision, prescribing corrective lenses, diagnosing common eye disorders and treating selected eye diseases with drugs. But you'll likely be referred to an ophthalmologist for more complex eye problems and for conditions requiring surgery
• Ophthalmologists - Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who provide full eye care, such as giving you a complete eye exam, prescribing corrective lenses, diagnosing and treating complex eye diseases, and performing surgery.

How Can I Prepare For an Eye Exam?

What Happens In An Eye Exam?

• * Discuss vision and medical history and any vision problems you are experiencing
• * External Eye Exam : They are looking for skin, eye lids, eye shapes, whites of the eyes, white flakes on the eyelash and other discrepancies
• * Visual Acuity Test - This is used to determine the smallest letters a person can read on a standardized chart or card held 14 - 20 feet away
• * Eye Alignment - (Cover Testing) by covering one eye and having the patient focus on an object they check the other eye for movement and/or alignment or lack of. There is also the prism method as well, since they bend light, they can also tell if someone has a turned or crossed eye. The stronger the prism that is required to align the eyes, the greater the eye turn
• * Pupil Response Test - They are checking for difference in size of the pupils and how they dilate. If there are significant differences with the pupils that could indicate a problem with your eyes and parts of your brain
• * Refraction/Autorefractor and Phoropter - These tests allow your Doctor to determine if you need glasses and what corrective strength is necessary. This machine looks a little intimidating due to its size, however it let's your Doctor try different lenses to see what gives you clear vision to see properly.
• * Biomicroscope - This will determine if you have cataracts, tears in the lenses, and thickness of the interior and anterior of your cornea
• * The Glaucoma Test - Like the rest of the tests, this doesn't hurt, however, it is a little surprising as you receive a puff of air squeezed into your eye. This determines the shape of your cornea when the air strikes the eye and tells how much pressure has been measured in the eye. This is an important test as Glaucoma causes blindness!
• * Retina and Optic Nerve Tests -- This requires drops to dilate the eyes so your Eye Doctor can see the retina which lines the back of your eyes. This will rule out any glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and any other potential sight threatening diseases.

Preventative Eye Care