Who are eye doctors?
Eye doctors diagnose, prevent, and treat practically all eye diseases and vision problems. While eye doctors vary depending on their expertise, training, and specialties, people usually refer to ophthalmologists as eye specialists.
Patients visit eye specialists to treat glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, corneal problems, and cataracts, among other conditions.
In addition, to care for the eyes and vision, an eye specialist with a medical background may be able to detect symptoms of conditions that are not directly related to the eye. They may refer their clients to the right specialists under such circumstances. Diagnosing and monitoring moderate eye and vision disorders are among eye doctors' most common procedures daily.
Educational qualifications of an eye specialist
A physician who specializes in eye care has completed four years of pre-medical undergraduate study, a medical school (that usually lasts four years), a year of internship, and more than three years of specialized medical and surgical training. Moreover, an ophthalmologist is a qualified specialist who holds a license from a state regulatory body to diagnose and treat problems of the eye and visual system.
What are the different types of eye doctors?
There are three significant types of eye care specialists:
- Ophthalmologists: Medical doctors (MDs) or doctors of osteopathy (DOs) trained specialists in eye and vision care. They have attended medical school and are qualified to diagnose and treat all eye conditions, including performing eye surgery. Ophthalmologists are sometimes referred to as eye surgeons.
- Optometrists: These specialists are not medical doctors but hold a doctorate in optometry (OD). They attend optometry school and are trained to diagnose and treat many common eye diseases and vision issues. However, optometrists do not perform surgeries.
- Opticians: Eye care professionals who help you select and fit eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other corrective eyewear. They work with prescriptions from optometrists or ophthalmologists but do not diagnose or treat eye conditions.
The type of eye care specialist you need depends on your symptoms and specific eye health needs.
For routine eye exams, an optometrist is often the go-to. They can diagnose and manage many common eye conditions. However, an ophthalmologist is the right choice if you need eye surgery. Ophthalmologists are qualified to perform surgeries and provide routine eye care, including exams and prescriptions for glasses or contacts.
Opticians work closely with optometrists and ophthalmologists, helping to ensure your glasses or contact lenses fit correctly and showing you how to use them safely.
If you’re unsure which eye doctor to see, your regular healthcare provider can guide you to the right choice based on your needs.
Why should one visit an eye specialist?
A vision screening is recommended for youngsters since their eyes are rapidly growing and changing. Adults with good eyesight and healthy eyes should get four comprehensive eye exams. People should have a comprehensive medical eye examination by the age of 40 years so that an ophthalmologist can make a baseline profile of their eye health. Having an eye health baseline is crucial because it helps doctors detect or monitor eye or vision changes that are often subtle and difficult to detect. Healthy people can also suddenly experience severe eye conditions.
What do ophthalmologists do?
Ophthalmologists diagnose and treat eye injuries, illnesses, infections, and disorders. Medication, either given orally or topically (in the eye), surgery, cryotherapy, and chemotherapy are all treatment options. Ophthalmologists see a wide range of eye ailments since they are the only medical practitioners who can treat all eye disorders. These include dry eye, amblyopia or lazy eye, and vision errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, etc.
People may visit an ophthalmologist if they have conditions or factors that enhance their chance of developing eye problems, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, a family history of vision problems, HIV, or thyroid disorders, such as Graves' disease.
These are the standard duties an ophthalmologist performs:
- Moderate-to-severe eye disease diagnosis and monitoring
- Glaucoma surgery
- Cataract surgery
- Refractive surgery
- Cancer therapy
- Reconstructive surgery to correct trauma or congenital disabilities like crossed eyes
- Infections or obstructions in the tear ducts that are chronic or severe
- Removal of a neoplasm (tumor, cyst, or foreign item)
- Monitoring or counseling cases involving additional illnesses, including diabetes
- Retinopathy or immunological disorders
- Restoration of retinas
- Transplanting corneas
What happens during an eye examination?
During a complete eye exam, an eye doctor near you will evaluate your vision and locate your eyeglass/contact lens prescription. The eye doctor will also explore how your pupils respond to light, examine your eye alignment, and ensure that your eye muscles function correctly. They will examine the back of the eye (retina) and optic nerve for any early symptoms of eye issues like cataracts or glaucoma.
Your doctor can also run some tests to learn more about your condition. These may include the following typical tests:
- Examination of visual acuity: The doctor uses a Snellen chart with lines of random characters that get smaller as you progress down the chart to test your reading comprehension.
- Test for color blindness: This test requires examining several graphs with colored dots representing numbers.
- Test for stereopsis: This test lets you determine if you have an excellent 3-D vision.
- Tests of peripheral vision: For this test, you must gaze into a device and signal when you notice light sources.
- Eye movement test: This requires you to move your eyes around while focusing on a penlight.
- Test for pupil constriction: An ophthalmologist may use a penlight to check that your pupils respond to light by contracting or closing.
- Check the fundus: Your doctor may prescribe eye drops to expand your pupils to examine the back of your eye. Your adjacent blood vessels, retina, and optic nerve are in the fundus region.
- Check the front of your eyes: Your eye doctor may ask you to look into a slit lamp or a magnifying tool so that they may examine your eyelids, cornea, conjunctiva, sclera, and iris.
- Glaucoma test. Your ophthalmologist will place your eye up to a lens that releases a puff of air so they can check for glaucoma.
How to take care of your eyes?
Maintaining sound eye health is an essential aspect of overall well-being. Your food choices are critical in this regard. Omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and vitamins C and E are the nutrients that help prevent age-related vision problems, including macular degeneration and cataracts. By incorporating the following foods into your diet, you can provide your eyes with the nourishment they need:
- Green vegetables like spinach, kale, and collards.
- Oily fish such as salmon and tuna.
- Non-meat protein sources like eggs, nuts, and beans.
- Citrus fruits and juices, like oranges.
- Foods like oysters and pork.
A balanced diet also aids in managing a healthy weight and lowering the risks of obesity and associated conditions, including type 2 diabetes, a leading cause of adult blindness.
In addition to a nutritious diet, here are more tips to safeguard your eye health:
- Quit smoking: Smoking elevates the risks of cataracts, optic nerve damage, and macular degeneration. Don't be discouraged by past attempts to quit; persisting in your efforts increases your likelihood of success. Seek assistance from your healthcare provider.
- Wear sunglasses: Shield your eyes from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Choose sunglasses that prevent 99% to 100% UVA and UVB rays. Wraparound lenses offer added protection, while polarized lenses reduce glare. Even if you use contact lenses with UV protection, sunglasses add an extra layer of defense.
- Use safety eyewear: Protective goggles and glasses are crucial whether working with hazardous materials or engaging in sports prone to an eye injury. Sports like ice hockey, racquetball, and lacrosse, in particular, pose risks, and eye protection is a must.
- Reduce screen time: Prolonged periods of staring at computer or phone screens can lead to eyestrain, blurry vision, and various discomforts. To protect your eyes, ensure your prescription for glasses or contacts is up to date for computer use. Adjust your screen to eye level, minimize glare, and take regular breaks to rest your eyes.
- Visit an eye doctor near you regularly: Regular eye exams, essential for individuals of all ages, are your first defense against eye-related issues. Eye exams can detect silent diseases like glaucoma, making early treatment possible.
You can visit an ophthalmologist or optometrist, depending on your specific needs. Both types of doctors can offer comprehensive eye care, with ophthalmologists also capable of performing surgery. During an eye examination, your eye doctor will examine your medical history, perform vision tests, assess eye functionality, and check for glaucoma and other eye conditions.
Find the best eye doctors near you in Atlanta, Georgia
Any symptoms in the eye can harm your vision. That is why choosing a qualified and friendly eye doctor near you is very important. Enter your preferred specialty or medical procedure, and Zocdoc will display the best matching providers. You can also compare eye doctors based on their location and availability on this cutting-edge platform that curates profiles of all the qualified eye doctors near you in Atlanta.
In other words, you will commit to an eye doctor only after learning in-depth and verified information about them. You can always book an in-person or online consultation when you have browsed to your satisfaction.
To promote trust and allow informed decisions, all Zocdoc providers have a dedicated profile. Each profile features their educational qualifications, licensure, experience, and expertise. You can also find out the languages they speak and their other patients' verified reviews and ratings.
You can filter your search results on Zocdoc to find eye doctors in your network using Zocdoc’s insurance detector. If your plan isn’t listed, try taking a picture of your medical insurance card and uploading it. The website will automatically scan the image and display your most likely plan. If you encounter any issues while uploading the picture, you can contact Zocdoc’s service team for assistance. For additional insurance-related questions, check Zocdoc’s patient help center.
All bookings on Zocdoc are safe, secure, and easily accessible.
Visual impairment statistics in Georgia
According to a study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, Georgia will have approximately 226,000 visually impaired individuals by 2050. Nearly 65% of the individuals who are blind or visually impaired will be above 80 and older. Based on the prevalence of visual impairment and blindness over the past years in Georgia, the study estimates a 150% increment in diabetic retinopathy among adults aged 40 and above between 2015-2040. Moreover, per the quantitative data published by the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, the prevalence rate of visual impairment among people aged 65 and above is slightly higher in Georgia (6.7%) than the national average (6.2%). Among the significant causes recorded, most visual impairment cases arise from macular degeneration (29.4%), followed by glaucoma (19%).
Sources
The Georgia Department of Public Health
American Academy of Ophthalmology
WebMD[1]
WebMD[2]
MedicalNewsToday
National Center for Biotechnology Information
Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
Cleveland Clinic[1]
Cleveland Clinic[2]
Cigna
