Choosing the Right Eye Doctor

With so many medical specialties it is often hard to know how one eye specialty differs from another. Sorting out the different types of eye practitioners can be confusing, but each is distinctly different. Choosing the right eye doctor can make a difference in your outcome, even if only financially. For example it might be excessive to pay for an ophthalmologist exam when you need only prescription lenses, but when you need eye surgery, only an ophthalmologist will do.

Types of Eye Specialists

Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (MD) or who specializes in eye surgery. An ophthalmologist's training consists of attaining a college degree, followed by medical school, internship, residency and sub-specialty fellowships. Ophthalmologists prescribe medications and administer anesthetics. Ophthalmologists diagnose and treat eye diseases, medically, pharmaceutically and surgically, including those caused by systemic disease, injury and aging.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology definition: "A medical doctor who specializes in all aspects of eye care including diagnosis, management, and surgery of ocular diseases and disorders."

Optometrist
An optometrist in the United States is not a medical doctor, but has completed college followed by a four-year accredited optometry program. They receive their Doctor of Optometry (OD) upon graduation. Optometrists diagnose and treat refractive conditions and prescribe corrective lenses. Optometrists treat common eye problems and can prescribe medications. They can detect, but cannot treat diseases that affect eye health such as diabetes and hypertension. They can diagnose eye diseases like glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal diseases, but can treat them only in certain states.

The World Council of Optometry definition: "Optometry is a healthcare profession that is autonomous, educated, and regulated (licensed/registered), and optometrists are the primary healthcare practitioners of the eye and visual system who provide comprehensive eye and vision care, which includes refraction and dispensing, detection of disease in the eye, and the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system."

Orthoptist
Orthoptists diagnose and treat specific eye movement disorders specified by the International Orthoptic Association (IOA). These include amblyopia (lazy eye) and binocular vision. The orthoptists role in assisting ophthalmologists has grown and is accepted worldwide due to the international standards developed by the IOA. Orthoptists receive between two and five years of training. In the US they are required to complete three years of college followed by two years of in post-graduate school.

The International Orthoptist Association definition: "Orthoptics is a profession allied to medicine whose primary remit is the diagnosis and non-medical management of strabismus (squint), amblyopia (lazy eye) and eye movement disorders."

Ocularist
An ocularist makes, and fits patients who have lost eyes, with ocular prostheses or artificial "glass" eye, which is actually made of medical grade acrylic or cryolite glass. Alternatively, if the natural orbit can be preserved, the ocularist can fit a scleral shell over the orbit (eyeball).

Optition
The optition is not a doctor. Rather he/she is the professional who makes the lenses (for glasses, contacts, etc.) that the optometrist or ophthalmologist prescribes.

Only two of the above specialists are doctors. And only ophthalmologists perform surgical procedures such as cataract surgery, LASIK and other refractive correction surgeries, glaucoma treatment or diabetic eye care.

Will Lasting Prescription Changes Lead to Blindness?

Many people find that their glasses prescriptions always change. And some of them worry that they will go blind some day. In fact, such worry is unnecessary. The commonest eye problem that may lead to vision loss is degenerative myopia. However, only a few people will be suffers of such eye problems.

Though there are only few people who will suffer from degenerative myopia, this disease will always lead to very serious results. As times goes by, patients will suffer from some very serious problems, such as glaucoma, cataracts, retinal degeneration. It is reported that sufferers of degenerative myopia is no less than 2%, and it is also one of the main causes for blindness. Of course, different country has different incident ratio. All have proved that pathological myopia is very special and will cause very serious outcomes onto sufferers.

Sometimes, progressive nearsightedness is also the signal of some serious diseases, as albinism, Ehler’s-Danlos syndrome, etc. These prescriptions changes are really rapid. Especially, younger patients will suffer much more than older ones. With time goes by, people’s prescription will be stabilized, especially after adolescence. However, even for those adult groups, if they work under very bad condition, they may also suffer from such eye problems. Furthermore, if these groups are judged by different criteria, more people will be counted in.

Some people think that blurriness in the eyes is the main cause for prescription changes. But it is unsettled. In fact, using eyes in bad ways can lead to blurriness. Some people hold that peripheral blurriness may lead to such changes. Many statistics have also indicated that such problems are also related with heritage and environment.

Nowadays, people have to work under some very specific conditions, such as, facing the computers everyday. Some of them even have to work for ten and more hours in front the computer monitors. However, no one can change this state. Gradually, most of them will suffer from nearsightedness. And this eye problem will worsen one’s habits of using eyes. Under such conditions, our eyes will also become very dry. And dryness will also lead to some eye problems.

Because the condition in which we live changes so rapidly, it is impossible to say people’s eye sights will be stabilized. Of course, it is true that adult will suffer fewer prescription changes than school children. Some people get their visions worsened, whereas others bettered. The reason is some people follow what the eye doctors suggested, while others take measures of full distance correction. It is true that only a few people can wear full RX, while most can not. In fact, like any other human organs, there are also self-recovering systems in people’s eyes. And people have benefited a lot from these systems. For example, some people get even nicer vision as time goes by; others have also maintained a relatively stabilized prescription. For anyone, there are different prescriptions in both of his eyes, and the only way to maintain the stabilized state of the prescription in each eyes is to wear correctly prescribed glasses. As people age, there will be some changes in their eye lens. Especially, for these who are over forty, they will more improbably suffer from myopia, if they are farsighted. However, such change will not last very long and they will have to suffer from the original problems. As for those who have some physical diseases, they tend to get more eye problems, unlike other’s changes with age.

It is still impossible for people to stop the process of change in eyes. But there is a promising future. Some drugs are being produced to slow down the process of eye changes. It is said that wearing some soft contacts can also slow such changes. However, no one can tell which ones are practical and effective.

Ergonomics is very ideal for people suffering from eye strain. This method involves some exercises of relaxing eyes. It suggests that people should stare at some objects afar for some time and look back, and then repeat this process for many times. If one has to work in front of computers, he is suggested to take some cautious measures, as using anti-reflecting coatings, etc. Of course, using some Xibrom is also very useful. Some products and measures are only suitable for children, not for adults. But the future is promising. Some other points should also be noticed that maintaining a healthy diet is also very important. Some eye problems are caused by imbalanced diet. So it is essential for people to eat more vegetables and fruits. In a word, there is no need for people to worry about the possibility of getting blind, though their visions are getting changed all the time.

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A free eye exam and glasses for Brunswick kids

A Shallotte optician came by the Brunswick school board meeting last night and said the district has had a service available since 1978 people might not know about: Free eye care for students.

Karen Moshoures said her clinic, Vision Square Eye Care, will donate an eye exam and a pair of glasses to three Brunswick County students per year. It’s based on financial and medical need. Teachers, school nurses or principals need to nominate students for it.

To be eligible, the student must: not be able to afford an eye exam and glasses; have no insurance or state assistance covering vision; parental permission; and an eye screening done by a school nurse.