How to Be Sure You're Seeing Clearly: Have Your Eyes Examined by an Optometrist

An optometrist is a healthcare professional who is trained to examine the eyes for visual defects, diagnose problems or impairments, and prescribe corrective lenses or provide other types of treatment.

While both are eye care professionals, an optometrist provides primary vision care, such as eye exams and vision tests, while an ophthalmologist is a medical doctor specializing in eye and vision care, capable of performing eye surgery.

An optician is a professional who designs, verifies and fits eyeglass lenses and frames, contact lenses, and other devices to correct eyesight.

Generally, it is recommended to have an eye exam every one to two years, depending on your age, risk factors and whether you currently wear corrective lenses.

An eye exam involves a series of tests to evaluate your vision and check for eye diseases. It is performed by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist.

During an eye exam, you will be tested for visual acuity, eye pressure, and overall eye health. The doctor may dilate your pupils and use a variety of instruments to view your eye's interior.

Corrective lenses are pieces of glass or plastic prescription by optometrists or ophthalmologists to correct vision impairment such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, or presbyopia.

Signs that you might need glasses include blurry vision, frequent headaches, squinting, difficulty seeing at night, or double vision. An eye doctor can confirm if glasses are needed.

Myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness) are common vision conditions. Myopia makes distant objects appear blurry, while hyperopia makes near objects appear blurry.

Astigmatism is a common vision problem caused by an error in the shape of the cornea. This can cause images to look blurry and stretched out.

Presbyopia is a natural part of the aging process of the eye and is marked by the inability to focus on objects up close. It generally becomes noticeable in the mid to late 40s.

Yes, children can and should get eye exams. Early detection of vision problems is important for children as it can affect their learning.

In general, optometrists are not trained to perform surgery. The main exception is laser eye surgery, but even then, only in some regions.

No, an optician can't prescribe glasses. They design, fit, and dispense glasses after receiving prescriptions from optometrists or ophthalmologists.

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in eye and vision care. They can diagnose and treat all eye diseases, perform eye surgery and prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Typically, it takes a minimum of seven years of higher education to become an optometrist: a 4-year undergraduate degree and then a 4-year doctorate program in optometry.

A prescription for glasses includes the refractive error for each eye, which is given as a numerical value in diopters for nearsightedness or farsightedness and any astigmatism. It may also include pupillary distance.

Optometrists test for glaucoma through a comprehensive eye exam that includes visual field testing, examining the optic nerve, and testing the pressure inside the eye.

The numbers on your eyeglass prescription represent the power of lens needed to correct your vision. SPH corrects nearsighted or farsightedness; CYL and AXIS correct astigmatism; ADD is for bifocal or multifocal lenses.

Yes, optometrists can detect signs of other diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, or even brain tumors, as they can affect the health of the eyes.