An optometrist is a professional with a thorough specialist training who is an expert on solutions to eyesight problems, prescription of spectacles and contact lenses. An ophthalmologist is a medical specialist with higher education who diagnoses and treats eye health problems.
You can visit an optometrist to have your eyes examined and get spectacles or contact lenses. If they find it necessary, you will be sent to an ophthalmologist for medical tests.
An optometrist can carry out eye examinations of children over the age of 8 and people with no eye operations or diagnosis of ocular diseases.
Children under the age of 8 should have their eyes examined by an ophthalmologist. Adults at the age of 40-60 are advised to regularly check the state of their eyes once in every two years. People over 60 should visit an ophthalmologist once a year.
If you know about hereditary eye diseases in your family (e.g. glaucoma), you should go to check the health of your eyes to be sure.
You can get special moisture drops from an optometrist to relieve eyes dryness and irritation. They are safe and soothe the eyes. If your eyes are red and excrete pus, you should check with the ophthalmologist for an eye inflammation.
To help the light oversensitivity there are tinted lenses with different stages of darkening to cater for all needs. One possible solution may be photochromic lenses – consult with the optometrist what fits you best.
The wrinkles around the eyes may appear from squinting in bright light or straining your eyes to see better. Make sure the strength of the spectacles suits the eyes and protect the delicate skin of the eye area with sunglasses that cover it.
You can make an appointment with an ophthalmologist in the same way as with an optometrist to have your eyes checked. The quickest way is to call the store. You can also book by e-mail.
The most wide spread serious diseases are cataract and glaucoma. People of any age can have eye inflammation – this is treated with eye drops prescribed by the eye doctor.
Some of the ocular diseases are hereditary, so, if you are aware of any such disease in your family, visit the doctor regularly to examine your eyes. The early diagnosis of an eye disease can help to slow down its development if it can be treated by medical means.
The reason for development of a cataract may be excessive UV-radiation, so the people spending much time in the sunlight have to protect their eyes with sunglasses.