Optometry (a
health care profession concerned with the health of the eyes and related
structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information
processing in humans )is a field that is going strong with increasing number of
professionals being trained who eventually commence practice. There is a
definite increase in the demand for quality optometric treatment due in part to
some of the following factors:
o Frequent and abrupt changes in
lifestyle-making it hectic
o Unhealthy diets
o Long hours in front of computers and television sets
o Harmful rays of the sun.
o Unhealthy diets
o Long hours in front of computers and television sets
o Harmful rays of the sun.
All of the factors above can
contribute towards excessive strain on the eyesight. The only means by which
you can safeguard your eyes and maintain perfect vision is visiting an optometrist (A medical professional who
examines and tests the eyes for disease and treats visual disorders by
prescribing corrective lenses and/or vision therapy. In many states,
optometrists are licensed to use diagnostic and therapeutic drugs to treat
certain ocular diseases)at timely intervals for an eye check up.
People generally avoid going
to optometrists for an eye check up till they face the following difficulties:
o Difficulty in reading street signs and
billboards.
o Words in a book or magazine appear blurred and hazy posing problems in reading.
o While walking down a street accidentally bumping into walls or street signs that were not visible.
o Words in a book or magazine appear blurred and hazy posing problems in reading.
o While walking down a street accidentally bumping into walls or street signs that were not visible.
If any or all of the above happens, it is
time you paid your optometrist an urgent visit. They are responsible for the
well being of your eyesight. They examine your eyes and diagnose eye related
problems such as poor vision. Their treatment to correct poor eyesight does not
consist of a bottle of "great vision" pills or a shot of eyesight
injection. They correct vision with lenses and similar optical aids. Eyeglasses
and contact lenses are usually prescribed by such professionals.
The following is what may likely happen if
you visit an optometrist's office. Upon entering the premises you will be
immediately shown a chair to sit down in. Before the lenses are offered you
will have to undergo a vision test to check your vision acuity. This exam
determines whether you are short or far sighted. After this test the Optometrist
will proceed to determine the level of prescription you require in your glasses
and whether you at all need to wear glasses.
At the office, they check your vision
coordination, vision depth, color viewing and recognition, as well as your
capability to focus. After this a glaucoma test is done to detect other
diseases that are eye-related. For instance, if you suffer from high blood
pressure, diabetes or cancer-these could have serious repercussions on your
eyes. So the Optometrist will test all such possibilities. Of course they will
also provide you with your treatments and give eye therapy.
Optometrists fall into the category of
general practitioners. Most of their patients are children and elderly people.
There are some of them who practice in private. It is a mistaken assumption
that optometry is all about looking into eyes throughout the day. These eye
care professionals also have to run an office. They perform functions such as
hiring staff, billing, new patient services, maintaining electronic records. Besides
they have to order supplies of equipment, lenses and medicines and take care of
other administrative stuff to run their office.
