An eye doctor, also known as an optometrist or ophthalmologist depending on their level of training and scope of practice, is a healthcare professional whose role extends far beyond prescribing eyeglasses and contact lenses. They provide a host of services.

Routine Eye Examinations

Regular eye exams are fundamental to maintaining good eye health. During an examination, an eye doctor evaluates your vision and checks for common eye diseases. They may also be able to detect general health problems, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, which often manifest in the eyes first.

Prescription of Eyewear

One of the most common services provided by eye doctors is the prescription of corrective eyewear. If an eye exam reveals refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, the eye doctor can prescribe glasses or contact lenses to help correct your vision.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Conditions

Eye doctors are trained to diagnose and manage a broad range of eye conditions. These include chronic diseases like glaucoma or macular degeneration, infections or inflammations like conjunctivitis, and conditions related to systemic diseases like diabetes. Treatment can range from prescription medication to surgical interventions.

Eye Surgeries

Ophthalmologists, a type of eye doctor with specialized surgical training, can perform various surgical procedures. These include cataract removal, corrective surgeries like LASIK, and more complex procedures such as retinal detachment repair or glaucoma shunt surgery.

Pediatric Eye Care

Children's vision care is another essential service provided by eye doctors. Pediatric eye care includes vision testing, eye alignment checks to detect conditions like strabismus (crossed eyes), and screenings for common visual problems seen in children, such as lazy eye (amblyopia).

Low-Vision Services

For patients whose vision can't be fully corrected with regular glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery, eye doctors offer low-vision services. This includes recommending optical aids like magnifying glasses and telescopes, non-optical aids like large-print books, and teaching adaptive strategies to cope with vision loss.

Emergency Eye Care

Eye doctors often provide urgent care for eye emergencies. This can include the removal of foreign bodies from the eye, treatment of eye infections or injuries, and urgent care for sudden vision changes or loss.

Consultation and Referral

Eye doctors can also offer consultations about various eye-related issues and provide referrals to other specialists when necessary. For example, they might refer a patient with a complex retinal problem to a retinal specialist or someone needing specialized vision therapy to a neuro-optometrist. 

For more info, contact a local eye doctor.