Choosing the Right Kind of Eye Doctor
If you have concerns about one or both of your eyes, call Retina Associates of Orange County to make an appointment with a Newport Beach eye doctor. An eye doctor Newport Beach patients recommend can make an important difference in maintaining healthy vision.
If you’re unfamiliar with the various types of medical care available for eye problems, the following information may clarify what kind of eye doctor in Newport Beach you may wish to visit. If you are still unsure, do not hesitate to call our office and speak to one of the highly knowledgeable members of our office staff.
What is an optometrist?
Optometrists are eye doctors who have earned a Doctor of Optometry degree. A Newport Beach eye doctor who is also an optometrist can perform the following services:
- Eye examinations that check vision and health issues.
- Prescribe contact lenses and eyeglasses to correct refractive errors.
- Provide low vision and vision therapy.
- Prescribe medications for treating certain diseases and other eye problems.
- May perform pre- and post- operative care for surgeries performed by an ophthalmologist.
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor or an osteopathic doctor who specializes in vision and eye care. The physicians of Retina Associates of Orange County are ophthalmologists. You may seek a Newport Beach eye doctor who is an ophthalmologist for any of the following services:
- Eye exams.
- Diagnose and treat eye disease.
- Prescribe eye medications.
- Perform eye surgery.
- Prescribe contact lenses or eyeglasses.
Though an optician is not a type of Newport Beach eye doctor, opticians use the prescriptions from your ophthalmologist or optometrist to fit and sell corrective eyewear, such as eyeglasses.
Should I see an optometrist, or an ophthalmologist first?
If you are not in need of eye surgery or specialized treatment, you can see either type of eye doctor for a routine eye exam. Both can perform the following:
- Eye exams.
- Detection, diagnosis, and management of eyes diseases that require non-medical as well as medical treatment.
Only ophthalmologists are eye doctors licensed and qualified to perform eye surgery. Co-management can be achieved with an ophthalmologist performing the surgery, while an optometrist handles other services.
- The ophthalmologist will most likely define the original diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.
- Usually the ophthalmologist manages the problem by performing surgery, with or without additional medications.
- After the ophthalmologist controls the condition or surgically treats it, he or she may refer you back to your primary care eye doctor. The primary care eye doctor will then treat your condition, or provide you with post-operative care as per the ophthalmologist’s instruction.
The physicians of Retina Associates of Orange County are available by appointment, if you would like to see a Newport Beach eye doctor about vision concerns.