What's an Optometrist?

If you’ve ever had blurry vision, you’ve probably visited an optometrist for glasses or contacts.

Optometrist is just a fancy word for a certain type of eye doctor. Doctors that specialize in optometry help diagnose and treat vision problems and eye diseases. That includes prescribing glasses or contact lenses and providing medicine for glaucoma (vision loss from damage to the optic nerve) and cataracts (vision problems from clouded eye lenses). Interestingly enough, optometrists can even detect signs of other conditions that may seem unrelated to the eyes such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and multiple types of cancer through eye exams.

If an optometrist discovers that you have a more serious condition, they might refer you to an ophthalmologist, who specializes in more advanced treatments like surgery.

How many years of school are required? 

Normally, optometrists need to complete an undergraduate degree (4 years) and a Doctor of Optometry degree (4 years). They don’t go to medical school, but they can get additional training afterwards.

How much are optometrists paid?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary last year was estimated to be about $131,860 nationally. Job demand is also expected to increase about 9% in the next 10 years, which is about 5% more than the average for all occupations.

Overall, optometrists are necessary to help us maintain our eye health and keep our vision sharp.