Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat They DoOpthalmologists vs. OptometristsConditions TreatedExpertiseTreatmentTrainingWhen You Need One
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What They Do
Opthalmologists vs. Optometrists
Conditions Treated
Expertise
Treatment
Training
When You Need One
Anophthalmologistspecializes in vision, medical, and surgical care of the eyes. They can perform eye exams, dispense medications, prescribe corrective lenses (like eyeglasses or contacts), and perform eye surgery.
As physicians, ophthalmologists are the only healthcare providers trained to provide comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. Ophthalmologists are often confused withoptometrists(who treat certain eye disorders but do not perform surgery).
What Ophthalmologists Do
Ophthalmology is a medical specialty that is focused on the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders and diseases.
Ophthalmologists are trained to perform a variety of tasks, such as:
Ophthalmologists often work with other specialists when vision loss is secondary to another medical condition, such asdiabetes.
Ophthalmologists and optometristshave different levels of training and levels of care. They often work together in the same office but have different responsibilities for your eye health.
Conditions Ophthalmologists Treat
Ophthalmologists are trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions, including:
Diagnostic Tests
An ophthalmologist typically works in an office outfitted witheye exam equipment. More complex imaging or exploratory tests may be conducted in a hospital or medical facility.
Eye Examination
Aneye examconsists of a series of tests that assess the state of someone’s vision and their ability to focus on and discern objects. The basic test includes:
Specialized Tests
In addition to a basic eye exam, an ophthalmologist may order specialized tests and imaging studies. Examples include:
Unlike optometrists, ophthalmologists can perform more sophisticated medical procedures and surgeries. Some of the more common ones include:
There are many different drugs used in ophthalmology, including:
In addition to medications, an ophthalmologist can prescribe corrective lenses (including bifocal, multifocal, andprogressive eyeglasses) and contacts.
Training and Certification
An ophthalmologist is amedical doctor(MD) or anosteopathic doctor(DO). The pathway to becoming an ophthalmologist takes between 11 and 12 years, including:
An internship and residency follow medical school. This step in the process can last between three and eight years.
Some ophthalmologists will embark on further fellowship training to specialize in specific areas of ophthalmology, including:
When to See an Ophthalmologist
You should see an ophthalmologist if you experience any of the following symptoms, particularly if they are persistent, unexplained, or worsening:
There are other reasons why you may need to seek urgent or ongoing care from an ophthalmologist, even if vision problems are currently mild.
Among them:
Some autoimmune diseases, includingGraves' diseaseand rheumatoid arthritis, can cause related eye conditions. So canmyasthenia gravis, a neurological disease, as well asMarfan syndromeand certain genetic conditions.
Summary
Ophthalmologists are medical specialists who diagnose and treat eye diseases and other problems involving the eyes. Unlike optometrists, ophthalmologists are physicians with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree who can perform eye surgery and laser eye procedures like LASIK.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is an ophthalmologist?American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is an opthalmologist vs. optometrist?American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye exam and vision testing basics.Stanford Medicine.Pupillary Responses.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Fluorescein Angiography.American Academy of Ophthalmology.List of urgent and emergent ophthalmic procedures.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Differences in education between optometrists and ophthalmologists.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Training and certification for ophthalmologists.American Academy of Ophthalmology.20 Reasons to See an Ophthalmologist.Tan TE, Wong TY.Diabetic retinopathy: Looking forward to 2030.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Jan 9;13:1077669. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1077669Beuran DI, Macovei ML, Boca IR.Multiple ocular manifestations in a patient diagnosed with herpes zoster ophthalmicus: case report.Rom J Ophthalmol. 2024 Jan-Mar;68(1):81-86. doi:10.22336/rjo.2024.16Ng JY, Zarook E, Nicholson L; Oculi-Cordis group; Khanji MY, Chahal CAA.Eyes and the heart: what a clinician should know.Heart. 2023 Oct 26;109(22):1670-1676. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2022-322081Additional ReadingThulasi P. and Djalilian A.Update in current diagnostics and therapeutics of dry eye disease.Ophthalmology.2017 Nov;124(Suppl 11): S27-S33. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.07.022.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is an ophthalmologist?American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is an opthalmologist vs. optometrist?American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye exam and vision testing basics.Stanford Medicine.Pupillary Responses.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Fluorescein Angiography.American Academy of Ophthalmology.List of urgent and emergent ophthalmic procedures.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Differences in education between optometrists and ophthalmologists.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Training and certification for ophthalmologists.American Academy of Ophthalmology.20 Reasons to See an Ophthalmologist.Tan TE, Wong TY.Diabetic retinopathy: Looking forward to 2030.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Jan 9;13:1077669. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1077669Beuran DI, Macovei ML, Boca IR.Multiple ocular manifestations in a patient diagnosed with herpes zoster ophthalmicus: case report.Rom J Ophthalmol. 2024 Jan-Mar;68(1):81-86. doi:10.22336/rjo.2024.16Ng JY, Zarook E, Nicholson L; Oculi-Cordis group; Khanji MY, Chahal CAA.Eyes and the heart: what a clinician should know.Heart. 2023 Oct 26;109(22):1670-1676. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2022-322081Additional ReadingThulasi P. and Djalilian A.Update in current diagnostics and therapeutics of dry eye disease.Ophthalmology.2017 Nov;124(Suppl 11): S27-S33. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.07.022.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is an ophthalmologist?American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is an opthalmologist vs. optometrist?American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye exam and vision testing basics.Stanford Medicine.Pupillary Responses.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Fluorescein Angiography.American Academy of Ophthalmology.List of urgent and emergent ophthalmic procedures.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Differences in education between optometrists and ophthalmologists.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Training and certification for ophthalmologists.American Academy of Ophthalmology.20 Reasons to See an Ophthalmologist.Tan TE, Wong TY.Diabetic retinopathy: Looking forward to 2030.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Jan 9;13:1077669. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1077669Beuran DI, Macovei ML, Boca IR.Multiple ocular manifestations in a patient diagnosed with herpes zoster ophthalmicus: case report.Rom J Ophthalmol. 2024 Jan-Mar;68(1):81-86. doi:10.22336/rjo.2024.16Ng JY, Zarook E, Nicholson L; Oculi-Cordis group; Khanji MY, Chahal CAA.Eyes and the heart: what a clinician should know.Heart. 2023 Oct 26;109(22):1670-1676. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2022-322081
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is an ophthalmologist?
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is an opthalmologist vs. optometrist?
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye exam and vision testing basics.
Stanford Medicine.Pupillary Responses.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Fluorescein Angiography.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.List of urgent and emergent ophthalmic procedures.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Differences in education between optometrists and ophthalmologists.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Training and certification for ophthalmologists.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.20 Reasons to See an Ophthalmologist.
Tan TE, Wong TY.Diabetic retinopathy: Looking forward to 2030.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Jan 9;13:1077669. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1077669
Beuran DI, Macovei ML, Boca IR.Multiple ocular manifestations in a patient diagnosed with herpes zoster ophthalmicus: case report.Rom J Ophthalmol. 2024 Jan-Mar;68(1):81-86. doi:10.22336/rjo.2024.16
Ng JY, Zarook E, Nicholson L; Oculi-Cordis group; Khanji MY, Chahal CAA.Eyes and the heart: what a clinician should know.Heart. 2023 Oct 26;109(22):1670-1676. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2022-322081
Thulasi P. and Djalilian A.Update in current diagnostics and therapeutics of dry eye disease.Ophthalmology.2017 Nov;124(Suppl 11): S27-S33. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.07.022.
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