When you are trying to choose an Eye Doctor in Fountain CO, there may initially be a bit of confusion, as there are often several different types of people referred to as an Eye Doctor. Although all of these individuals do help care for your eyes in one way or another, all of them are not actually eye doctors. Read on to learn more about the different types of eye care professionals, from your eye doctor in Fountain CO area to your optician.
The Optometrist
An optometrist can legitimately be called an eye doctor because they went to a school of optometry to obtain their doctorate degree in optometry. This is the type of eye doctor that the majority of people will see when they go to get their eye exam or get fitted for new glasses or contact lenses. An optometrist can treat a number of different eye problems as well. However, the optometrist does not perform eye surgery in most cases, with the possible exception of LASIK type surgeries.
The Ophthalmologist
The ophthalmologist is not only an eye doctor, they are also a medical doctor who graduated from medical school. The ophthalmologist has a much longer schooling path than an optometrist does because they treat the most complicated and difficult of eye problems. If you ever need eye surgery or have some type of retinal damage, this is the type of eye doctor that you will go to. Generally, your optometrist will be the one who initially diagnoses the issue. They will then issue a referral to an ophthalmologist.
The Optician
An optician is often referred to as an eye doctor, but in actuality they are simply an eye care professional. Your optician is the person who will check your new glasses or contacts to be sure that they work as they should. The optician is not able to diagnose eye issues or to offer advice about complicated eye care issues. Opticians are not able to write lens prescriptions or administer eye tests. Often, an optician will work in the office alongside an optometrist. Once your new lenses arrive, you will see the optician for the fitting, rather than having to see the eye doctor again.
