10 Things the Eye Doctor Might Not Tell You

Would you know if your doctor was overcharging you or leaving out important information? Learn the most common eye doctor myths below, and prepare yourself with a list of questions before your next visit. It never hurts to ask!

Psst … Looking for more? Test your smarts with these vision and glasses myths, too!

Optometrists, who have a Doctor of Optometry degree, check you for routine eye health and prescriptions. Ophthalmologists, who have their Doctor of Medicine degree, can perform surgeries.  

For example, an Optometrist can detect glaucoma in a patient and help them manage it with non-surgical treatments. But if the patient ends up needing glaucoma surgery, an Ophthalmologist who specializes in glaucoma would perform the surgery. 

Over the years, the line between these two eye professionals has blurred, as all 50 states widened regulations to allow optometrists to treat many of the same medical conditions that ophthalmologists previously treated. 

Rule of thumb: For regular checkups, as well as problems affecting the surface of the eye (such as allergies, irritations, eyestrain, and conjunctivitis), an optometrist can treat you. If you’re experiencing serious symptoms such as loss of vision, contact any eye doctor immediately. If you need eye surgery, you will be treated by an ophthalmologist. 

A few tests during a routine checkup are normal:  

• A visual acuity test that gives a basic idea of what you can see  
• A refraction test that requires you to look through a machine to determine your exact prescription 
• A cover test that reveals how your eye muscles work together  
• An examination of the overall health of your eyes, both internally and externally. 

Whether a dilated eye exam is necessary will depend on your general health and eye health, as well as your age and risk of certain eye conditions. But remember that it is painless and allows your doctor to catch eye diseases early before they cause vision issues. It is also typically included in the total cost of a comprehensive eye exam. 

 A visual field examination, in which a machine is used to check peripheral vision, is an integral part of an eye exam for people who have or are at risk for conditions such as glaucoma, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and other medical issues.  

Truth #3: Online is a great place to buy glasses. 

The internet is an easy and often less expensive place to buy glasses. Online, you may find cheaper versions of designer glasses, as well as normal reading glasses. Because most eye doctors want you to buy glasses from them, make sure to check out the selection online also. Your wallet (and your eyes) will thank you!  

For more info on buying glasses online, at the pharmacy, or with your eye doctor, check out our guide to buying reading glasses, or browse our current selection. You can find everything from blue light reading glasses to reading sunglasses without leaving your couch.  

Eye doctors are required by law to give you your eyeglasses prescription after the exam, enabling you to buy glasses wherever you want. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that they had to do the same with contact lenses.  

Under this law, a doctor can no longer make you buy your lenses from his or her office once the in-office exam is complete. 

For the first five years of their lives, children’s eyes develop rapidly. Pediatric ophthalmologists and optometrists are specially trained to identify and treat vision problems in kids.  

If your child shows signs of needing glasses, you can find a pediatric ophthalmologist or optometrist close to you. Doing so also gives you access to an office that specializes in kids’ eyewear, which is great since fitting a child’s prescription and frames can get tricky.

Extra coatings such as anti-glare or scratch-resistant coatings may not be necessary but can be very helpful. Some eye doctors will suggest these for certain activities or if you are rough on your lenses.Materials such as polycarbonate lenses are durable but can scratch easily, this is why they often come with a scratch-resistant coating from the manufacturer.Polarized lenses naturally fight glare, although they do not naturally block UV rays, so an additional coating is necessary. Our best advice is to ask questions about what coatings may be helpful for your specific needs and lifestyle and research the different types of lenses.

Laser surgery — the most common refractive surgery that alters the eye to correct vision — continues to grow in popularity. However, even with the best equipment, surgeons must be consistent in getting their lasers updated regularly to help guarantee a safe performance. When shopping for a laser surgeon, ask doctors how often they perform treatments. A good resource to research laser options is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informational site (FDA.gov).

While LASIK surgery puts your odds for perfectly clear vision at about 94 to 98 percent, up to 10 percent of patients need a follow-up procedure. Unfortunately even with the procedure, perfect vision does not last forever, and as the eyes age, you may still need reading glasses. Also, make sure to note that LASIK is categorized by many insurance companies as a cosmetic procedure and might not be covered on your plan.

Glaucoma, a disease caused by a damaged optic nerve, can lead to irreversible loss of vision. Doctors sometimes prescribe pressure-lowering eye drops to glaucoma patients, but be careful; some can cause a laundry list of side effects and are often dangerous. It is best to research or talk to a doctor you can trust about eye drops and their side effects.

Professionals use a variety of tools to adjust glasses, from heat to pliers to screwdrivers. Often, brick-and-mortar stores are willing to adjust your glasses for you even if you did not buy the glasses there, but if you decide to adjust glasses yourself, there are some easy ways to fine-tune your fit. Just be sure to be extremely careful while doing it — the adjustable parts of glasses are small, thin, and easily damaged if twisted the wrong way. Just remember, while about 70% of glasses adjustments you can do on your own, you will need a professional’s help for some more advanced adjustments. That being said, there are many how-to websites that provide step-by-step tutorials on simple ways to perform the easier adjustments.

As with any medical condition or procedure, please consult your eye doctor, optometrist, or ophthalmologist before making decisions about your health. This resource is purely educational and meant to better prepare you to ask questions during your visit.