Choosing an eye doctor is just as vital as choosing a good health physician. Your eyes are not only your view of the world, but they also serve as a way to view your overall health. It is important to make sure you choose a good eye doctor because your eyes are one of the most essential parts of your everyday life. Here are several key things to look for when choosing a new optometrist.
What Types of Eye Doctors Are There?
Let us help you out with your decision on what eye doctor is best for you by giving you a background on the different types of eye doctors. Typically, eye doctors can be categorized into two different groups which are Optometrists and Ophthalmologists.
Optometrists can prescribe medicine, and treat some types of eye diseases, but they do not perform eye surgery. To become an optometrist, one would need to go to college. From there they would then spend four more years in Optometry school and are able to participate in programs that specialize in some different types of eye diseases.
Ophthalmologists are able to treat all types of eye diseases, prescribe you medication, and can perform eye surgery. In order to become an Ophthalmologist, one would need to go to college and then spend around four years in medical school. After medical school, they then will need to spend four more years in a residency program. After their residency, some Ophthalmologists will spend several more years if they are interested in specializing in a particular area of Ophthalmology. This final step however is not required in order to be considered a general Ophthalmologist.
Which of These is Right for You?
It is a good idea to consider what type of care you need when choosing an eye doctor. For a general eye examination, either an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist will be able to suit your purpose. However, if you are dealing with a specific eye disease, you may want to choose an Ophthalmologist for your ongoing care. In terms of contact lens issues or learning more about glasses, spectacle lenses, or contact lenses, an Optometrist will be a better candidate for you to choose.
Eye Doctor Availability
When it comes to Optometrists, does the one you are looking for have evening and weekend hours? Do they have openings within the week that work for your schedule? When it comes to eye disease management and using an Ophthalmologist, it is rare to find a medical doctor that has evening and weekend appointments.
It is crucial that you remember if you are in need of immediate care to find out if you can be seen quickly by the proper doctor. Most practices will be able to triage your issues if you are looking for immediate assistance and are able to work you into their schedule. However, most high-quality Ophthalmologists can be booked up to 3 weeks in advance, however, they can make an effort to have you check out out as soon as possible based on your symptoms.
If you are looking for a good eye doctor in the Paducah, KY area, give our team at Brush Optical a call today. We are here to make sure that your eyes are seen by the best eye doctor in the area.
