An optometrist spends their professional education learning about correcting vision as well as learning to identify diseases of the eye. Most of them can do testing for glaucoma as well. An ophthomologist spends their time learning things like surgery as well as vision correction.

So I've always gone to an optometrist for vision correction and saved opthomologists for more serious needs.

Full disclosure, GF is a professor of pediatric optometry in Boston and I used to help her study for her exams.

Opthalmologist unless it's just for a glass fitting. I would rather have my eyes examined and cared for by a full fledged doctor. Six or seven years, with family history, I'd definitely go for the full exam by an MD.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Mon, Sep 23, 13 at 21:32

Because you are retired...in your 60's?...with a family history of MD I would see an ophthalmologist .

My medical ins. paid for my opthamologist visit, since they are MDs. I went because my mom has glaucoma, and I have had high pressure readings since my late 30s. However, for contacts, I go to an optometrist. (So, I go yearly to each.)

Optometrist. They specialize in corrective lenses, but also monitor your eye health. They will send you to an ophthalmologist when needed.

My son has a corneal disease and once suffered an episode of acute corneal thinning where the eyeball fluid leaked into a split in the corneal layer. We ran him to his optometrist, who is local, for emergency care as his ophthalmologist is over an hour away. The optometrist administered wonderful emergency treatment, using medicines to reduce eye pressure and dry up the fluid. I believe he saved my son's sight.

eta: Our optometrist always tests for glaucoma and checks my retinas as my family has much history of macular degeneration. We go to him in case of eye infections too.

This post was edited by awm03 on Mon, Sep 23, 13 at 21:03

I have had eye issues for years. I have a history of Cataracts, diagnosed in my late 20's, high eye pressure and a hemorrhage behind my eye. My Opthamologist accepts my insurance and I feel secure under his care.

With family history of MD as well, I feel more comfortable with a Dr.

Optometrist. A good one should be able to refer you to a Opthalmologist when needed.

Gosh, thanks for all your opinions...maybe I'll pick an MD this time and keep up with my exams more frequently with an optometrist, if it doesn't appear that I need the ophthalmologist every time. Thanks again.

Olychick, I don't have vision insurance anymore, so I go to my opthalmologist. He does a very thorough exam for cataracts, glaucoma, all the "evil" aging eye diseases that we might encounter. At the same time, he does my vision check so I don't have to pay an optometrist.

The positive to going to an opthalmologist is that my health insurance pays for the exam, minus my co-pay. I am sure they never bill it as a "vision exam" but as a medical eye exam which is EASILY justified at my age.

Since starting with my opthalmologist, I have had a small, minute retina tear which he had to watch closely and also a severe eye infection, which turned out to be an allergic reaction to my allergy drops, Lastacaft. Imagine that - allergy to allergy drops :).

That's another reason I go to an MD. I am able to get coverage for one visit every two years. Have no idea what the optometrist charges to compare.

I always went to a "mall" optometrist. Hours are convenient and I could buy my glasses at that same retail outlet. I just had my last exam there however. She indicated I had signs of glaucoma (only visually by looking at the optic nerve) and told me to come back for more tests that they would bill to my medical insurance vs. my vision plan.

I decided if I had a serious eye condition I needed to see an ophthalmologist. I went to one referred by my internist who happened to be the same one my mother saw for macular degeneration and cataracts. He did the exam and saw no indication of glaucoma and couldn't imagine what the mall optometrist was thinking as my eyes were perfectly healthy.

So I'll be going back to my medical clinic for all future eye exams. They are done by optometrists and the ophthalmologists are reserved for eye diseases, surgery, etc. Fine by me as long as they are all qualified and capable.

I would think an eye exam by an ophthalmologist would be more expensive than one done by an optometrist. Easy enough to find out by calling and asking.

Definitely opthalmologist. I would rather have a doctor who can do it all - just in case it's needed rather than having a problem and then needing to see a "new" doctor. I feel like I get a better exam with an opthalmologist. It's been great for us as my husband works in design and fabrication and has had metal sliver/splinters in his eye THREE times. The last time it actually made a small hole and he had to have a protective lense, and see the doctor daily for several days. Metal starts rusting within the eye almost immediately. Our Dr. (of course it was their afternoon off), met us at the office and came in two days over the weekend for this. I don't believe an optometrist could have handled the problem. I also feel like our dr. has more/better/up-to-date equipment. I'm not sure there is that much cost difference between exams. We do have vision insurance.

tina

I checked my Medicare supplement and it might cover some part of a ophthalmologist's exam. So thanks for that extra bit of info.

We see an ophthalmologist each year as part of our overall preventive health scheme. I would not trust my health to anyone who was not a qualified medical doctor board certified in ophthalmology.

I've used an optometrist for all my needs for about 40 years. On the very rare occasion when it was needed, I saw an ophthalmologist. Having moved to the Olympia WA area 3 years ago (I know where you are Olychick!), my GP referred me to an excellent optometrist that she and her family use. If you're interested, Oly, email me.

Optometrists do go through a residency program. I go to an optometrist, but DH goes to an ophthalmologist since he is extremely near-sighted. My vision problems are run of the mill. I agree, they can refer you to an opthalmologist when needed. Back home, when my mom was suspected of having glaucoma, they got her into the MD right away and she was able to get treatments which saved her vision.

Vision screening is so important as we get older.

Olychick--got your email, but can't reply because your own emaill address wasn't included, and the forum doesn't forward to you. If you like, email me again w/ your own email address.

I work for an optometrist group that I believe does a wonderful job doing complete eye exams. We take many medical insurances and file Medicare also. The doctors check the eye health very carefully. If they find a problem they can't handle, they do refer out to medical doctors.

Lots of times if you go to an ophthalmologist they don't even do the refraction, a tech does it.

As Annie and others have said much more eloquently than I probably will: Optometrist. I work in an eye clinic and know that monitoring and screening for cataracts, macular degeneration, et al, are part of the services we provide. We also see patients for medical eye exams (ie Diabetics), office visits, infections, corneal abrasions, etc. Patients requiring surgery are referred to ophthalmologists.

I live a county or two north of you, but would be happy to ask my Doctor for a referral in your area if you would like. Feel free to send me an email.

That's true. The tech seems to do most everything and then the doctor comes in to take a quick look. Seems to be the way these days. Maybe I should check out optometrists, lol.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sun, Sep 29, 13 at 15:25

Thanks everyone, I'm feeling more comfortable about seeing an optometrist...I did get an appt with a ophthalmologist, but she doesn't do any corrective lens work, I still have to see an optometrist for that...so 2 copays, 2 appts, etc.