Optometrist or Ophthalmologist? Choosing the Right Eye Doctor in Alpharetta

Short answer: For most eye needs, start with an optometrist. An optometrist (OD) is the eye doctor for yearly exams, glasses and contact lenses, red or irritated eyes, dry eye, and the testing and follow-up of conditions like glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and macular degeneration. An ophthalmologist (MD or DO) is a medical doctor who also does eye surgery, such as cataract surgery, LASIK, glaucoma surgery and retina repair. In Alpharetta, most people see an optometrist first, and the optometrist sends them to the right ophthalmologist if surgery or a subspecialist is needed.

Three eye care titles that sound alike

Searching for an eye doctor in Alpharetta, Milton or Johns Creek turns up three titles that start with the same letters. Here is what each one does:

• Optometrist (OD, Doctor of Optometry). Finishes college and then a four-year doctoral program in optometry. Some, like our own Dr. Susan Reimbold, also complete a residency in eye disease. Optometrists examine the eyes, measure your prescription, diagnose eye diseases, prescribe medicated drops, and fit glasses and specialty contact lenses.
• Ophthalmologist (MD or DO). Finishes medical school, a hospital internship and a three-year eye surgery residency, and often a fellowship in one part of the eye. Ophthalmologists treat eye disease and perform surgery and procedures.
• Optician. Not a doctor. Opticians take your prescription and turn it into glasses that fit: they measure your eyes, help you choose frames and lenses, and adjust and repair eyewear.

At Reimbold Eye Group our optometrists and opticians work under one roof, so the doctor who examines you and the optician who fits your glasses can talk to each other about your eyes. Meet them on our doctors and team page.

What an optometrist handles

An optometrist is the first stop for nearly every eye question. At our Alpharetta office that includes:

• Comprehensive eye exams for adults and children, with retinal photos at every visit and OCT scans when needed. See the instruments on our eye exam technology page.
• Glasses and contact lenses, including multifocal, myopia-control and scleral and specialty lenses for keratoconus and hard-to-fit eyes.
• Medical eye problems such as pink eye, allergies, styes and dry eye.
• Testing and monitoring for eye disease, including glaucoma (eye pressure, visual field and optic nerve tests), diabetic eye exams, macular degeneration and hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) screening.
• Kids' vision, from first eye exams to slowing nearsightedness. Our pediatric eye exams page explains what we check.

Many people are surprised that an optometrist can find signs of high blood pressure, diabetes or a problem along the nerves to the brain. Our neuro-ophthalmic eye exam page explains how changes in the optic nerve, pupils and side vision can point to conditions outside the eye.

When you need an ophthalmologist

You need an ophthalmologist when the answer involves surgery, a laser, an injection or very specialized care. Common examples:

• Cataract surgery, once a cloudy lens makes driving, reading or glare too hard to manage with new glasses. Our guide to cataract symptoms and when to consider surgery explains the early signs.
• LASIK and other vision correction surgery. A full eye exam with corneal mapping is a good first step to learn whether your eyes look suitable before you meet with a surgeon. See what to know before a LASIK consultation.
• Glaucoma laser or surgery, when drops alone are not keeping eye pressure low enough.
• Retina problems such as a retinal tear or detachment, a macular hole or an epiretinal membrane that needs surgery, and injections for wet macular degeneration.
• Eye muscle surgery for some children and adults with an eye turn.

Many ophthalmologists focus on one area: retina specialists, glaucoma specialists, cornea specialists, pediatric ophthalmologists and neuro-ophthalmologists. Choosing the right one on your own can be hard. When your exam shows you need one, we explain why, send our findings and images ahead, and help you get to the right specialist.

Which eye doctor should you call? A quick guide

• Time for a yearly exam, new glasses or contacts: optometrist.
• Red, itchy, watery or gritty eyes: optometrist, ideally the same week, or the same day if there is pain or light sensitivity.
• Diabetes, a family history of glaucoma, or a medicine that affects the eyes: optometrist for regular screening, with a referral if treatment beyond drops is needed.
• Cloudy vision or glare from a cataract: optometrist first to confirm the cause, then an ophthalmologist for surgery.
• Sudden new floaters, flashes or a shadow in your vision: call an eye doctor the same day. Read our guide to floaters and flashes to learn why.
• Sudden loss of vision, a curtain over your sight, or a chemical splash: go to the emergency room or call 911.

How often should you go?

Healthy adults under 40 usually need an exam every one to two years, and every year after that. Children should be seen every year once school starts. People with diabetes, glaucoma risk or high prescriptions often need yearly or more frequent visits. Our post on how often to get an eye exam breaks this down by age.

Choosing glasses after your exam

Because our optical is part of the same office, you can go from the exam chair to frame selection in one visit. If you want a head start on styles, our face shape glasses guide shows which frame shapes balance round, oval, square and heart-shaped faces.

Frequently asked questions

Is an optometrist a real doctor?

Yes. An optometrist holds a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree, earned in a four-year doctoral program after college. Optometrists examine, diagnose and treat the eyes and prescribe medicine, glasses and contact lenses. They are not medical doctors (MD) and do not perform eye surgery.

Can an optometrist diagnose glaucoma, cataracts or macular degeneration?

Yes. These conditions are usually first found at a comprehensive eye exam with an optometrist. We use eye pressure checks, visual field testing, retinal photos and OCT scans to diagnose and follow them, and we refer you to an ophthalmologist when you need surgery, laser treatment or injections.

Can an optometrist prescribe eye drops?

Yes. Optometrists in Georgia prescribe medicated eye drops for problems such as eye infections, allergies, inflammation, dry eye and glaucoma. Bring a list of your current medicines to every visit so we can check for interactions.

Should I see an ophthalmologist for new floaters or flashes?

Call an eye doctor the same day. A dilated exam shows whether the retina is torn. If it is, you are sent straight to a retina specialist, an ophthalmologist who repairs tears and detachments. If you have a curtain or shadow over your vision, go to an emergency room.

Does my child need a pediatric ophthalmologist or an optometrist?

Most children do well with an optometrist who examines kids regularly, for checkups, glasses, lazy eye and myopia control. A pediatric ophthalmologist is the right next step when a child may need eye muscle surgery or has a complex eye disease, and we refer when that is the case.

See an eye doctor in Alpharetta

Not sure which kind of eye doctor you need? Start with a comprehensive exam and we will point you in the right direction. Book online or call 770-776-9000. Reimbold Eye Group is at 4180 Old Milton Pkwy 1-D, Alpharetta, GA 30005.