A bit confused, do I see an optometrist or an opthalmologist

[Maying]

So sorry if this has been asked before! I'm just confused. I get my eyes checked every year for glaucoma and all that and to get my glasses/contact lens prescription updated. Since I now have diabetes do I go to the same person or what? :confused:

[Spock]

opthalmologist... they are full-degree doctors.

[sarahspins]

An optometrist is quite honestly just not trained enough to do a thorough enough exam to catch most problems before they are VERY advanced.... I would *never* trust my sight to one unless I was in-between exams, out of town, and had lost or broke my glasses and for some reason couldn't get a copy of my current RX. Then maybe I'd go because I do need my glasses to see and I really can't go without them... but I would NEVER rely on an optometrist for regular eye care... your eyes, especially since you're more at risk now, are just too important.

An ophthalmologist has about 4 years of additional education, and in most states are the only ones qualified to perform surgery on the eye, should it be needed. I'd rather already be seeing the specialist who would need to treat me, than to have to be referred.

My ophthalmologist is a diabetic retinopathy specialist. I do not have any complications with my eyes (so far), but I do feel MUCH better knowing I have an expert doing the checking :)

[poodlebone]

I always say the optometrist at the place I bought my glasses. Several years ago my PCP told me to stop doing that and to start seeing an ophthalmologist. I went to one guy right by my job and didn't care for him much. He didn't dilate my pupils and it just didn't seem like a full exam. At the time he asked me how old I was when I was diagnosed with diabetes and when I told him (19) he said, "Aaaah, juvenile diabetes".

The next year I picked a new doctor from my insurance roster and went to see her. She was great and also asked when I was diagnosed. When I told her she said, "okay, so juvenile diabetes". I thought it was weird that the only two doctors who ever referred to it as "juvenile diabetes" were both ophthalmologists. I'm still seeing her and she asks me to come in twice a year, not once. She explains everything she's doing and does a thorough exam and makes sure I understand what she's telling me. She also likes Led Zeppelin which is always good.

[mho357]

Go for the MD - ophthalmologist...

Mark

[mosaic]

In a nutshell, an optometrist is for correcting vision problems, getting glasses/contacts, and catching the typical stuff.

An opthamologist is for when you need to check for medical issues related to the eye -- retinopathy, macrodegeneration, etc.

When you have diabetes, you really should see an opthamologist every year or two.

[Granny Shanny]

Definitely the opthalmologist; who's a fully trained certified licensed medical doctor with specialization in all the function, anatomy & diseases of the eyes.

Optometry treats mainly problems with vision, although they may catch other abnormalities & would hopefully then refer to medical doctors. For us diabetic patients, it's better to cut out the middle man and go straight to the opthalmologist.

[Maying]

Thanks everyone, so I'm getting the feeling that an opthalmologist is the best way to go. Will the opthalmologist also be able to do a decent job of finding out my glasses prescription/contact lens fitting and all of that? According to my grandmother an opthalmologist can write a prescription for glasses, but not a very good one. Maybe I should continue seeing my optometrist just for glasses and get a checkup from an opthalmologist as well?

[mho357]

The fellow that owns the optical shop I use for buying glasses is always suspicious of a refraction done by my ophthalmologist. In his opinion, optometrists have much more practice and are therefore much better at prescribing corrective lenses. I'm sure my doctor would disagree but this guy has been making glasses for a long time...

Mark

[Granny Shanny]

For many years my primary eye care physician has been an opthalmologist. The first contact lenses I ever had fitted were done in 1965 by a California opthalmologist/eye surgeon with stunning positive results. I later switched to soft contacts which were prescribed by a Colorado opthalmologist . . . again, never a hitch.

I have always been severely myopic, and despite having no other mitigating optic conditions, I felt the MD was the better bet to keep safe what little vision I have left. The one time I got messed up royally was when I went with a chain-type eyeglass center, who apparently didn't even measure where to put the bifocal inset in my lenses - got them way too low. So that confirmed my notion that the opthalmologists were better.

We now use Mason Eye Clinic in Columbia MO, where we get anything & everything we need in one location & one of the top docs is Ted Wills, a longtime friend of my DH.

[Patient254]

I see an opthamologist for my eye exam every six months. I do this also because I take plaquenil every day for hives, so that sometimes has some toxicity from it which I have to be checked for. However, I do agree that (at least my experience has been) my optometrist has been MUCH better at strictly giving me eye exams to determine my correction for glasses.

[sarahspins]

The fellow that owns the optical shop I use for buying glasses is always suspicious of a refraction done by my ophthalmologist. In his opinion, optometrists have much more practice and are therefore much better at prescribing corrective lenses. I'm sure my doctor would disagree but this guy has been making glasses for a long time...

Mark

Funny.... the only times I've ever gotten a blatantly WRONG prescription were from Optometrists.... once they wrote down the completely wrong prescription off someone else's chart... more commonly they'll write down the angle of my astigmatism correction wrong, or write the RX for the right eye for the left, and vice versa. I've had enough screw ups by optometrists that I just can't trust them.. plus they always seem rushed and like they're trying to get through the exam as fast as possible.

[poodlebone]

Another good reason (for me) to see an ophthalmologist rather than an optometrist is the real doctor is covered under insurance while the optometrist isn't. If we had a vision rider for our health insurance it would be, but we don't.

Then there's the optician. That's the person who helps you pick out the best frames or lenses for your specific prescription, and will fit the frames for you and make adjustments.

[Melissa Warren]

Hi Rose,

Here's some information I think you will find helpful. A similar question was submitted to the American Diabetes Association's Ask the Eye Doctor, and here's his response:

Ask the Eye Doctor Archive (http://www.diabetes.org/food-nutrition-lifestyle/lifestyle-prevention/ask-the-expert/ask-the-eye-doctor-archive.jsp)

What is the difference between a diabetic eye exam and a regular eye exam? Do I need a specialist for this?

You should see an optometrist or ophthalmologist who is familiar with diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. The eye doctor that's checking for diabetic changes will dilate your pupils to get a thorough look. If the doctor does not dilate your pupils, you should probably see a different eye doctor to have a dilated eye exam. If significant diabetes related retinal problems are detected by your primary eye doctor, they should refer you to an ophthalmological "retinal specialist" for additional testing such as Optical Coherence Tomography and Fluorescein Angiography. You can find a qualified private-practice eye doctor near you on VSP Vision Care's web site, vsp.com.

Melissa Warren

[BrianS]

I'm a Type 1 (juvenile - "all growed up"). I used to see an ophthalmologist at a prominent clinic until he missed my retinopathy. An optometrist caught it, and now I see a retina specialist yearly, and the optometrist yearly (alternate so I'm seen every 6mos).

Optometrists wouldn't be in practice if they didn't know what they are doing. I wouldn't see my orthodontist to get my teeth cleaned...and that's essentially the difference between the 2.

2 cents.

-Brian