Finding the right eye doctor is an important part of keeping your eyes healthy. Your local Paducah, KY eye doctors will work their hardest to ensure that your vision is protected. There are a couple of different kinds of eye doctors including an optometrist, and an ophthalmologist. Here we will be discussing both of these types of eye doctors and help you decide which one you should choose.
Who are Optometrists?
Optometrists are a type of eye doctor that has earned a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree and they specialize in vision and eye care. To qualify as an optometrist within the United States, one typically must earn a four-year degree in science and they then need to attend either an accredited school or college dedicated to optometry to earn their four-year OD degree. These types of eye doctors provide routine eye exams to patients. They also help prescribe eyeglasses and contacts, diagnose problems with eye health, perform lens fitting, and medically manage a large number of different eye diseases, injuries, and infections.
What does an Ophthalmologist do?
An ophthalmologist is a Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) who has a specialty in vision and eye care, including related surgical procedures. They must complete an internship, have a four-year college degree in science, complete a three-year residency within the surgical and medical care of eyes, and attend medical school for four years to get a degree that would qualify them as either a DO or MD. This type of eye doctor is trained to care for eye problems and licensed to perform surgery to fix those problems. These doctors might pick of specific eye disease or part of the eye to treat.
Pediatrics
Optometrists and ophthalmologists can partake in pediatric eye care as well. An optometrist who specializes in pediatric eye care will monitor the development of children’s eyes, help fit contact lenses, and provide vision therapy to children with amblyopia (lazy eye), binocular vision issues, or any learning-related vision problems. Ophthalmologists in this field will still provide surgical treatment, notably for misaligned eyes along with other childhood eye issues.
Which One to Choose
Now that both have been explained, you should decide which kind of eye doctor to see in Paducah, KY. Generally speaking, optometrists tend to be the most commonly seen as they offer their services cheaper, there are more of them than there are ophthalmologists, and they are more widely available. Ophthalmologists are still talented at their work and can be great to see if you or your child have any serious eye conditions.
If you are looking for an optometrist in Paducah, KY, give our team over at Brush Optical a call today!
