Eyes Confused? (choose the right doctor in emergency)

[Reid]

Just read the stickied thread atop this forum.
16 year old had blasted one of his eyes with a low powered green laser.
He waffled and worried for days, afraid to tell his parents.
Then days later he finally went to what he termed, an optician, who, of course, did not even know what a laser is.
And the kid did not know the difference then between the types of eye care professionals.

This post aims to make it all clear and memorable

Eye Care Professional Differences
personified with humor
Ophthalmologist : a full medical doctor
Optometrist : wasn't good enough
Optician : ocular space monkey

 

[RDZombie]

"ocular space monkey"

awesome

 

[Reid]

:thumbsup: Glad you laughed. The poor optician is like the dental hygenist: does the work the doctor orders,
he/she measures the span between our peepers, fits a silly frame style and monkeys to make it sit right on the nose.

I composed the definitions with my own eyes in mind. See, just a few hours before,
without warning, my right eye went half blind, dark and blurry and it will be this way for a while.
It's not laser related, but the effect is similar. The condition will gradually self-heal over the next months.
So I had just come home from the ophthamologist, diagnosed with something called
central serous retinopathy. Had it once before nearly 20 years ago. It will heal and leave slight, added deficit, but I am not unhappy or complaining.

In reading up on the ailments I learn that the feeding chain is not headed by the ophthamologist;
no, the real artists in the field are the "posterior" physicians (the ophthamologist is primarily an expert of the anterior eye.

The king and ruler of the eyeball world is the Retinologist. They often net half a million a year take home.
Gulp! I'll bide my time, but if I needed surgery to the retina,
I guess I'd save my pennies for a consult with a retinologist. T'ain't cheap for the uninsured.

It's OK to chuckle at the medical arts. Some of even the high-priced ones are still
ocular space monkeys. To find, to know who to go to when an accident happens,
is a good thing to decide in advance.
I've done my homework on Central Serous Retinopathy, and elect to let the macula settle back down, heal on its own,
no intervention, just rest and relaxation of the mind. No worries! And thank goodness,
no laser here yet to play with, to compound my bad luck issues! Not yet anyway.

Sign me happy and lucky it wasn't worse. We don't know what we've got till it's gone (old saw still cuts sharp).
So watch your eyes, please, everyone.

 

[BIGIRON]

Your vision is priceless. When in doubt, spend the money.