A lot of people do not understand the difference between an ophthalmologist and an optometrist. The main difference is the level of training. Ophthalmologists attend medical school. After medical school, they must complete an internship and residency. Ophthalmologists are able to perform surgery for illnesses like cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetes-related problems. They may also perform plastic surgery for drooping eyelids and wrinkles.
The eye doctor in Colorado Springs CO area offers a wide range of services. Optometrists graduate from college and spend four years in an optometry program. Services offered at the Eye Doctor include:
* eye exams for contacts and eyeglasses
* treatment of conditions for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism
* prescriptions for low vision aids and vision therapy
* prescribe medications for certain conditions like dry eye and conjunctivitis
* handle care for people after eye surgery
Often, ophthalmologists work with the Eye Doctor in Colorado Springs CO to make their practices run smoother. The doctors perform integrated eye care for patients. The optometrist handles a request for eyeglasses, surgical screening, emergency care and perform measurements prior to surgery. They often work together on LASIK eye surgery. LASIK is the most popular refractive surgery performed in the U.S. LASIK or laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. It is a refractive surgery wherein the cornea is reshaped so light hits the eye to allow clearer vision. Laser eye surgery is painless and only takes about 15 minutes.
Another surgery performed by ophthalmologists is cataract removal. Cataracts cause the vision to get cloudy and occur as people age. Interestingly, some cataracts are present at birth or occur as a result of injuries. During the surgery, the cloudy lens is removed and replaced by a man-made lens. Most surgeries are known as small cut cataract surgery. The cut is small because the hard part of the lens is vacuumed out. Ultrasound vibrations are placed in the eye and break the lens into smaller pieces. Doctors are seeing more cases of people with eye problems due to working in front of computer screens. Computer vision syndrome is serious, and patients are often prescribed a special eyeglass prescription. Whether one works with computers or not, they need to have an eye exam on a regular basis.
