Choosing Between an Ophthalmologist and an Optometrist

Many people have to go to the eye doctor for various reasons. These individuals may have an eye infection, or they may just need to renew their prescription. The two most common types of eye doctors are called ophthalmologists and optometrists. But how do you choose between these two types of doctors?

Expenses -

Are you looking to save some money? Well, you may want to visit the optometrist instead of the ophthalmologist. For a general check up, an optometrist will only cost you between seventy five and one hundred dollars. On the other hand, a general check up to an ophthalmologist will probably cost you around three hundred dollars or so.

Convenience -

Optometrists are often located in very convenient areas such as Walmart or Target. So basically, you can visit the optometrist and then go grocery shopping. Ophthalmologists will often be located in office buildings, which may be more difficult to locate. Also, you usually don't have to make an appointment to visit an optometrist.

You just walk into the office, and if it's not too busy then you get checked out. If it is too busy then you can just come back later. But with an ophthalmologist, you would have to either wait patiently or reschedule. And that's inconvenient.

Faster -

Generally, if you visit an optometrist they will provide you with faster service. This may not be true if it's a weekend, but if you go during the week then you will probably only wait around ten minutes or less. However, ophthalmologists will often take much longer. This is because more people visit ophthalmologists, and these same people may have problems that are much more difficult to diagnose. Thus, these individuals visit the ophthalmologist.

Experience -

Optometrists are often not quite as experienced as the ophthalmologists. This is why people with serious eye problems visit the ophthalmologist. So if you have an eye infection or something similar to that, you should probably make an appointment with an ophthalmologist. If you visit an optometrist for an eye infection, they might actually refer you to an ophthalmologist. So in this case, you would just be wasting your time by visiting the optometrist.

Personalized -

Ophthalmologists make more of an effort to get to know you. This allows them to more properly diagnose you by discerning your lifestyle, and it makes you a little more comfortable. And if you're more comfortable then you're more likely to visit that same doctor again. Then again, the ophthalmologist is probably just being nice as well. As for an optometrist, they just stick to the basics. Optometrists will be friendly and polite, but you are mostly treated as a number.

As you can see, choosing between an ophthalmologist and an optometrist is a fairly simple process. If you want speed, convenience, and to save some money then go with an optometrist. If you want someone with more experience, a more personalized visit, or if you have a serious eye condition then make an appointment with your local ophthalmologist.