Who's Who In Eye Care

When you need eye care, to whom should you go? An optometrist? An ophthalmologist? An optician? Here's a look at the differences between them:

  • An optometrist or doctor of optometry (O.D.), examines the eyes to evaluate eye health and vision; diagnoses eye diseases and vision problems; and provides necessary treatment, including glasses, contact lenses, vision therapy, low vision devices and, in most states, drugs to treat eye disease. By examining the eyes, optometrists may also identify signs of diseases and conditions that affect the entire body.
  • An ophthalmologist is a physician (M.D. or D.O.) who concentrates on treating eye disease with drugs or surgery, but may also prescribe glasses or contact lenses.
  • An optician is a technician who dispenses eyeglasses according to prescriptions written by optometrists and ophthalmologists.
The optometrist provides all primary eye care services and is generally the first eye care professional to see. If you need the services of an ophthalmologist, the optometrist will refer you to the right one, such as a retinal specialist. If you need glasses, you can have the prescription filled through your optometrist or take it to an optician.

 

More Than A Vision Examination

All regular examinations include ophthalmoscopy. This procedure allows the doctor to examine the internal structures of the eye. In addition to cararacts and glaucoma, many systemic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes show up here. Should medical treatment be needed, our staff is qualified to treat medical problems from the simple red eye to glaucoma and cataracts.

Vision Testing

The part of an eye examination most people relate to is the vision test or refraction. While this is only one phase of your examination, it's certainly an important one. Using the most advanced equipment, we will do a series of lens test to determine if you need glasses or contact lenses to improve your vision.

Eyewear

As part of our eyecare service, we offer a complete selection of high quality eyewear. Our professional staff is trained to help you select frames that look good, fit properly and are compatible with your lens prescription. We want you to have eyewear you are proud of and enjoy wearing.

Contact Lenses

Millions of people have chosen contact lenses as an alternative to eyeglasses. A variety of new contacts are available in both soft and oxygen permeable (RGP) lenses for the correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. We provide complete professional care from the initial evaluation to follow-up visits after you receive your lenses. Take a look at our outrageouscoloredcontacts.

OrthoK

You may not have heard of OrthoKeratology, a non surgical method of improving your vision. This option uses specially designed RGP lenses to reshape the cornea of the eye to improve vision.

Vision Therapy ( VT or Orthoptics)

VT is an individualized treatment program to improve visual skills such as eye movement control, focusing control, eye cordination. Poor visual skills may interfere with reading. VT is also used to treat amblyopia (lazy eye) and crossed eyes (strabismus).

Searcy Eye Care Center
Howard F. Flippin, O.D.
Patricia Westfall, O.D.
James Hertzog, O.D.
410 West Race Avenue 
Searcy, AR 72143 
(501) 268-3577


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