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Optometrists Take Exception

Optometrists vs. the World • Rebecca • Larry • Gene • Keith • Will • Lee --- Readers Respond • Joe • Kim

On this section's home page we make this rather innocuous statement:

... It's still a good idea to see an ophthalmologist -- an M.D. who specializes in the eye -- for an annual eye exam. It's essential that anyone with diabetes or a family history of glaucoma get a full exam by an M.D. at least annually.

We think this is pretty conservative advice. The eye, after all, is the window to a lot more than the soul. It offers an up-close and personal view of one's nervous and circulatory system and an examination of the eye by a skilled physician can provide early warnings of many diseases, conditions and complications.

Optometrists are not M.D.'s. They are trained to prescribe and fit lenses to improve vision, not to diagnose or treat disease. Ophthalmologists are M.D.'s with additional training in diseases of the eye. Most are surgeons as well as diagnosticians.

Despite the rather mad rantings of the optometrists below, we stick by our advice that it is a "good idea" to see an ophthalmologist at least occasionally, especially as one ages. This doesn't rule out getting your glasses or contacts fitted by an optometrist.

Herewith the optometric profession presents its side of the story. We must preface this by saying that we get a rather large amount of hate mail, threats, obscene screeds and heated diatribes but this is the first time a group of supposed professionals has reacted with such venom to a comment as innocuous as ours. We'd suggest the optometrists get together and hire a slick public relations firm. They're doing a very poor job of representing themselves.

• Rebecca, who finds our comments "personally insulting;"
• Dr. Larry Falkner , who thinks we are "idiot slimeballs";
• Gene Sweetnam, who is not an eyeglass peddler;
• Keith Watson, who calmly argues that co-existence is possible;
• Will Lindberg, who thinks we do a great disservice;
• Lee Newton, who finds it all "ignorant drivel."