The best way to begin looking for help is to start with your eye care professional. Here is what they do:

• An ophthalmologist diagnoses and treats eye diseases, prescribes medications, and performs surgery to improve or prevent the worsening of vision-related conditions. An ophthalmologist will have the initials "M. D." after his or her name.
• An optometrist diagnoses eye diseases and prescribes eyeglasses, contact lenses, low vision devices, vision therapy, and medications to treat eye diseases. An optometrist will have the initials "O. D." after his or her name.
• An orthoptist works under the direction of an ophthalmologist to evaluate and treat eye disorders with an emphasis on binocular vision (using both eyes to see) and eye movements; much of their work is with children.
• An optician fits eyeglasses and, in some states, contact lenses, analyzes and interprets prescriptions written by ophthalmologists or optometrists, and takes eye measurements to ensure that eyeglass prescriptions are correct and fit properly.