Your eyes are one of the most important sense organs in your body. Good vision is so important because it allows you to pick up cues from your environment that can help you determine whether or not you're in a safe environment. If you're finding that your eyes aren't working as well as they used to, you may think that it's time to make an appointment with an optometrist. However, there's a different specialist that may be an even better option: an ophthalmologist. If you are experiencing any of the following signs, it may be time to see an ophthalmologist right away.

Your Field of Vision Has Diminished

As you know, good vision is about much more than just being able to see out in front of you. It's also vital that you're able to detect movement in the corners of your eyes because this represents a broad field of vision. If you're starting to find it more and more difficult to pick up those peripheral cues, an ophthalmologist may be able to help.

While it's true that an optometrist can certainly make a prescription for you to get glasses or contact lenses, you need to get to the root of the problem.  That's where an ophthalmologist can step in.  These eye specialists have spent many years in training so that they can diagnose a number of different eye ailments.  Instead of treating the symptom, an ophthalmologist may be able to determine that there is a form of corrective surgery which will restore your field of vision.

You See Spots or Jagged Lines of Light

Another issue that an ophthalmologist may be able to assist with is the way that your eye picks up light. If you're starting to see spots where there truly aren't any, or if you see jagged lines of light when looking at objects in the distance, get to an ophthalmologist immediately.

When your eyes are working correctly, you should be able to perceive light without excessive glare or distortion. Wearing glasses may not help with this because there could be an issue with your retina that needs to be surgically treated. The only way for you to find out is by meeting with an ophthalmologist.

Taking the time to see an ophthalmologist such as Jo Johnson, M.D. could prove to be a very wise decision. Contact a local office of ophthalmology as soon as possible so you can schedule a visit with one of these medical specialists without delay.