A person who experiences eye symptoms should be checked by a doctor. However, some eye diseases cause few or no symptoms in their early stages, so the eyes should be checked regularly (every 1 to 2 years or more frequently if there is an eye condition) by an ophthalmologist (a physician and surgeon who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases) or by an optometrist (a non-physician who specializes in refraction problems).

Diagnosis of eye disorders is initially based on the symptoms that the person is experiencing, the appearance of the eyes, and the results of an examination.

Last full review/revision December 2006 by Kathryn Colby, MD, PhD