Saturday, November 21, 2009

Find An Eye Doctor That Fits Your Needs

By Terry Lamb

Find an eye doctor that fits your needs. Before choosing the eye doctor that you want to visit, it is important to take a number of things into consideration. Many of us go to the one that have been recommended by friends and family. We assume that if they are well enough for ones we love, they must be well enough for us. But that may not always be true. What is good for our best friend may not be what is best for us. Do some research and a background check on some of the doctors that you are considering to visit.

Health insurance may cover certain areas for eye care. But it may not cover everything. Check to see what your health insurance will cover. If it does not cover all of your eye care needs, you will want to find out the costs for your visits. Affordability is an important factor to consider when choosing the right doctor.

It is necessary to do all the vital checks prior to making the decision. You want to avoid eye doctors that have been sued for malpractice. If they have a number of malpractice suits, find out the reason behind it. If that does not make you want to run, then more power to you. But many of us want to avoid doctors with a bad rep. Also, experience is crucial. An experienced person that has been doing what they are doing for a while, has a better chance of knowing what they are doing vs. Someone that barely started.

The root word, "opt" literally means "eye". Our eyes are crucial organs that play a very important role in our lives. We need our eyes to see. When searching for an eye doctor, find one that best fits your needs. Make your decision based on the reason for your visit. Then decide whether you need to see an optician, an optometrist, or an ophthalmologist.

Ophthalmologists are eye doctors that treat any eye health complications. They perform surgery when needed and provide medication. If your eyes are experiencing complications and you are in need of surgery, find an ophthalmologist. They are MD's that have gone through special training and medical school.

An optician is someone you go to for fitting eyeglasses. They are not eye doctors. They are responsible for providing corrective lenses, including eye classes, corrective contact lenses, and prescription sunglasses.

An optometrist checks you for vision and prescribes corrective glasses and/or lenses. If you wear contact lenses, you should visit your optometrist once a year for an eye exam. The purpose for the regular eye exam is to make sure that there are no problems arising from the use of contact lenses. Depending on where you are, a regular check up averages around $100. For eye glass wearers, it is recommended that you get checked at least twice a year. Optometrists are not considered MD's. They are the ones that check your eyes for any complications of the eyes that may require surgery or other special care and refer you to an ophthalmologist.

We should have our eyes checked regularly to make sure there are no problems. Contact wearers and eye glass wearers should get their vision checked regularly as well. With age, our vision can change. It is important that we have our corrective lenses are up to date and that we check to make sure that the conditions of our eyes are good.

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