The American Eye Study Club understands that many people need to know which eye doctor to consult for different eye needs. The two eye doctors often mixed up by many are optometrists and opticians. Understanding the differences between these two eye health providers can help you find the right help. Here are the details to determine how an optometrist and an optician differ.

Important Facts About an Optometrist

An optometrist can examine your eyes and provide primary eye care services. The main task of this eye care professional is to determine any changes in your eyes. After this, an optometrist can offer a possible solution to the issue. You may consider an optometrist as a general practitioner for eyes and vision. This field's highest level of education is a four-year doctorate in optometry. Attaining this level of education and proper certification is vital.

Working with the patient’s specialists and doctors is sometimes necessary. This helps manage the patient’s health conditions. An optometrist can prescribe what is needed for eye problems that need this type of solution. Referring you to a specialist is also possible if the eye problem is complex.

Dealing with vision problems is the primary work of an optometrist. Conducting comprehensive eye checks is essential in treating your eye issue. Your optometrist can help you manage farsightedness, astigmatism, nearsightedness, or presbyopia. Prescribing medications and corrective lenses can correct these vision problems. This eye doctor can also detect some eye abnormalities.

Important Facts About an Optician

An optician is not a medical doctor. This eye care provider does not offer surgical solutions or even eye exams. Instead, an optician checks a prescription and adjusts the lenses or glasses. This professional can also repair glasses and assist you when choosing your frames.

Making and even fitting eyeglasses are the main tasks of opticians. They do not have the education or training that optometrists have. But their college training is often through a recognized institute. They base the creation of your visual aids on your eye doctor’s prescription. If you need a new set of contacts, an optician will provide what your prescription instructs.

The indirect help that opticians give can help your vision health. They design and determine the fit of eyeglasses. These eye care professionals check that your glasses fit the size of your head and face and that the eyeglasses settle on your ears and nose without issues. Their job prevents you from wearing ill-fitting eyeglasses or incorrect lenses.

Achieving a good fit needs accurate measurement. An optician will measure your face and eyes. This will include the distance between your pupils. You can consult them for the correct type of frame for your face, vision needs, and lifestyle. The optician will create the eyeglasses in the lab once the measurements are complete.

Understanding the difference between an optometrist and an optician can help you get the right type of eye care. At Wear Eyewear, we always assist our patients with the kind of care their eye doctors recommend. Please visit our clinics in Chicago and Orland Park, Illinois, for a one-on-one consultation. Call us at 312-626-0036 (Chicago) or 708-349-9327 (Orland Park) to set an appointment or ask about our eye care packages.