Finding an eye doctor is an indispensable health care decision. From Lasik surgery to eye exams to corneal scratches, there are different reasons as to why you might want to find an eye specialist. Whatever the case may be, you will be putting your precious sense of sight to the doctor's hand and trust him or her to help you maintain a lifetime of good vision. Therefore, you will want to get someone whose qualifications matches with your needs. While looking for a good eye doctor Encino patients ought to understand that there are two categories of eye specialists, optometrists and ophthalmologists.
Ophthalmologists are medical doctors or osteopathic doctors who specialize in eye and vision care. They are trained to carry out eye exams, diagnose as well as treat disease, recommend medications and execute eye surgery. Also, they write prescriptions for contact lenses and eyeglasses. They have gone through medical school, internship, and residency.
Optometrists on the other hand have gone through four years of dedicated training and an undergraduate study. They may offer different basic eye care services such as eye exams and diagnose some eye related problems. The experts might participate in pre as well as post-operative care when one has surgery done by ophthalmologists.
You should also note that there is another group, which is the opticians. These however are not experts but are important to the eye care team. Opticians use prescriptions given by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist to fit and offer contact lenses, eyeglasses including other eye wear. A lot of people mistake them to be professionals in eye problems and once they visit them they forget about seeking more help.
Some countries require opticians to have licenses and should have done an opticianry training course. Others however do not make it compulsory for them to obtain licensure or formal training. Furthermore, some states allow them to fit contact lenses following completion of a certification program. One can however obtain names of a specialist in eye care who deals with the kind of problem one may have from opticians.
You should be able to determine the type of eye care expert you need before you visit any of them. You may be having a serious problem and you decide to go to an optician who will only prescribe some eye drop. This will not help solve the problem but make it worse. Make sure that the person you seek help from is familiar with the type of problem you have to get the right medical treatment.
Researching the doctor's credentials is important to be sure that you are leaving an important part of your body in the right hands. One should also try to find out which schools the expert went to, where he did his residency, area of expertise and if he is certified by the relevant body. Knowing all these will provide one with peace of mind.
Once one has determined that the person meets his eye care needs, is passably experienced for the type of care he needs and is well recommended, it is good to determine if he is located close to the office or his home. Time is key, and one ought not to spend a lot of it to acquire quality eye care.
Ophthalmologists are medical doctors or osteopathic doctors who specialize in eye and vision care. They are trained to carry out eye exams, diagnose as well as treat disease, recommend medications and execute eye surgery. Also, they write prescriptions for contact lenses and eyeglasses. They have gone through medical school, internship, and residency.
Optometrists on the other hand have gone through four years of dedicated training and an undergraduate study. They may offer different basic eye care services such as eye exams and diagnose some eye related problems. The experts might participate in pre as well as post-operative care when one has surgery done by ophthalmologists.
You should also note that there is another group, which is the opticians. These however are not experts but are important to the eye care team. Opticians use prescriptions given by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist to fit and offer contact lenses, eyeglasses including other eye wear. A lot of people mistake them to be professionals in eye problems and once they visit them they forget about seeking more help.
Some countries require opticians to have licenses and should have done an opticianry training course. Others however do not make it compulsory for them to obtain licensure or formal training. Furthermore, some states allow them to fit contact lenses following completion of a certification program. One can however obtain names of a specialist in eye care who deals with the kind of problem one may have from opticians.
You should be able to determine the type of eye care expert you need before you visit any of them. You may be having a serious problem and you decide to go to an optician who will only prescribe some eye drop. This will not help solve the problem but make it worse. Make sure that the person you seek help from is familiar with the type of problem you have to get the right medical treatment.
Researching the doctor's credentials is important to be sure that you are leaving an important part of your body in the right hands. One should also try to find out which schools the expert went to, where he did his residency, area of expertise and if he is certified by the relevant body. Knowing all these will provide one with peace of mind.
Once one has determined that the person meets his eye care needs, is passably experienced for the type of care he needs and is well recommended, it is good to determine if he is located close to the office or his home. Time is key, and one ought not to spend a lot of it to acquire quality eye care.
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