You’re having blurry vision up close and trouble seeing at night. Should you visit an optometrist or an ophthalmologist? The first thing is knowing the difference between the two. Ophthalmology is the study, diagnosis, and treatment of eye disorders, which requires a medical degree and up to five years of residency in ophthalmology training. An Optometrist is an eye doctor who does not have a medical degree, but instead has a Doctor of Optometry degree. Optometrists can check your eyes, prescribe contact lenses and eyeglasses. If a more serious eye health issue is present, they will refer you to an ophthalmologist. Patients from Plantation, Miami, and Weston should understand the differences between doctors, so they can book an appointment at the doctor best suited for their eye care needs.
Know When to Go
Eye disorders are common among people of all ages, so visiting an ophthalmologist is a good place to start when wanting a diagnosis. With years of training in ophthalmology, doctors are skilled in correcting vision problems which include symptoms such as, floaters or specks of strings in your vision, eye pain, halo, glare or starburst effects when looking at lights. If you notice symptoms of eye redness, dark spots, dry eyes, eye discharge or double vision, you should visit your ophthalmology doctor right away. It’s important to know and share with your ophthalmologist if you have a family history of eye disease, if you’ve ever had an eye injury or if you are diabetic.
Know Your Ophthalmologist
When visiting any doctor, you should always make sure they are board certified and up to date on the newest practices. Dr. Andrew Shatz is a board-certified ophthalmologist and Medical Director of the SightTrust Eye Institute in Sunrise, FL. Dr. Shatz has performed over 20,000 intraocular lens procedures on patients from Weston, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and surrounding areas. For more information on Dr. Shatz’s ophthalmology practice, visit www.sightrust.com or call (877) 878-7890
