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EALTH

The Right Eye Care for You


I t can be difficult to find the right eye doctor when the need arises' I The tottowing is some basic information that may help you when Ophthalmologists

By Tayson DeLengocky, D0,

Bond Eye Associates

looking for an eye care professional. There are two types of eye doc-

tors, optometrists and ophthalmologists, with about 35,000 optometrists and 19,000 ophthalmologists practicing in the United States.

Optometrists
Optometrists obtain their doctorate of optometry upon completion of a 4-year graduate education in optometry. Optometric students generally spend the first two years in learning basic sciences and the last two years in learning to refract patients for corrective eyewear (glasses and contact lens) and examine ocular diseases. Upon graduation and passing the licensing board examinations, optometrists can practice optometry. Clinical residency oppoftunities are available to optometrists who wish to obtain advanced clinical competence in an area' These specialty areas include family practice optometry, pediatric optometry' geriatric optometry, vision therapy and rehabilitation, low-vision rehabilitation, cornea and contact lenses, refractive and ocular surgery, and primary eye care optometry and ocular disease.

Ophthalmologists are physicians, either an M.D. (doctor of medicine) or a D.O. (doctor of osteopathic medicine), who must have obtained their medical degree and completed a one year internship followed by 3 years of training in ophthalmology' Upon completion of the internship year and passing the national medical board examinations, these physicians are fully-licensed to practice general medicine. During the 3 years of residency in ophthalmology, the resident physicians learn the eye's anatomy, the treatment of eye diseases, and the skills necessary to perform surgeries of ditferent subspecialties of ophthalmology. There are about nine or ten subspecialties: pediatric' cornea, refractive, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, ocular oncology' ocular pathology, ocular plastics, uveitis, and vitreo-retinal surgery. Upon completing the residency, these physicians can practice ophthalmology and become board-certified by passing the written and oral specialty board examinations. As the trend of health care delivery has become more specialized, about 3O-4O% of ophthalmologists choose to spend an additional one to three years in fellowship training in one of the subspecialties areas.

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Page 40

Healthy Cells Magazine

Peoria

January 2012

lhich

is the right eye doctor? As you can see, there are many choices of eye doctors and subpecialists. The following tips may help guide you in the best direction b your care. First and foremost, the ultimate goal of any eye doctor s to preserve and provide the best possible visual potential for their Fients. The following tips are a quick guide for choosing the correct fcvider for your eye care. Also, any ophthalmologist or optometrist dl know which specialist io refer you to for conditions requiring more pecialized care. ] When you experience a vision problem, you should determine if the problem exists in one eye or both by covering one eye at a time and comparing your vision. Some patients delay seeking treatment by Brinking visual problems may be due to a cold or that the problem will go away in a few days. These delays can affect the final outcome. ) You can determine if blurred vision may be corrected with glasses by adjusting the distance of the reading materials. lf you find improvernent at a specific distance, you probably need prescription eyewear ai'td can go to an optometrist or a general ophthalmologist. r lf your vision is still blurry at any range of distance, you should see an ophthalmologist. However, if you have some systemic diseases ke diabetic mellitus or hypertension, you may choose to see a retina
specialist first. r lf you see floaters, flashing lights, or a curtain coming down on your vision, you should seek consultation with a retina specialist.
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. lf you are older than 55 and experience


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a sudden vision loss, you should seek immediate consultation with an ophthalmologist, a retina specialist or a neuro-ophthalmologist. lf you experience headache or a droopy eyelid, you should see a neuro-ophthalmologist or ophthalmologist. lf your child has crossed-eyes, pediatric ophthalmologists are the best choice if they are available in your area.

you experience ocular pain and sensitivity to the light, you should

Further guidance for choosing an eye care professional can also come from your primary care physician. Local or state medical societies as well as state and local specialty organizations may be helpful in identifying providers in your area. For more information or to schedule an eye exam, you may contact Bond Eye Associates at 309-692-2020. Their office is located at 6800 N. Knoxville Avenue in Peoria. You can also join us online at wvvw.bondeye.com.

seek care with an ophthalmologist.


i tf you experience persistent double vision, you should cover one eye to see if the double vision resolves. lf it does, you should seek consul-

iation with an ophthalmologist or neuro-ophthalmologist.

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January

2O12- Peoria

Healthy Cells Magazine

page

41

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