Optometry

What is Optometry?

Optometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans. Optometrists are professionals who provide primary vision care ranging from sight testing and correction to the diagnosis, treatment, and management of vision changes.

Optometrists qualify to diagnose and treat eye diseases such as Diabetic Retinopathy, Cataracts, Glaucoma, and Macular Degeneration.

How are Optometrists regulated?

Like most professions, optometry education, certification, and practice is regulated in most countries. Optometrists and optometry-related organizations interact with governmental agencies, other health care professionals, and the community to deliver eye and vision care.

How do optometrists check your eyes?

Checking your eye sight You will be asked to read letters on a chart. For

those who are not able to read, there are other tests such as identifying pictures or matching letters and pictures.

Process

Checking your outer eye A light will be shone on the front of your eyes

to check their health and how well they react to light.

Inner Eye

Checking your inner eye An ophthalmoscope is used to check the back of the eyes. The

light of the ophthalmoscope will be shone into your eyes to check their health and you will be asked to look in different directions.

Checking your eye muscles

Checking your eye muscles Your optometrist will check that the muscles that

control your eye movement are working well.

Glasses or contacts??

Checking to see if you need glasses If you need glasses or contacts to improve your vision, the

optometrist will work out exactly what prescription you need. They may shine a light in your eyes and then ask you to look at letters or colors on a chart through various lenses in a special frame or machine.

How do I know if I need to see an optometrist? Officials compiled guidelines on questions one should ask oneself before

visiting an optometrist: -- Can you see far away objects clearly but find close up ones blurry? You

could have hyperopia, or farsightedness. Other symptoms of hyperopiainclude eyestrain, headaches and excessive blinking.

-- What if your close up vision is fine but your distance vision is less than perfect? Myopia, or nearsightedness, could be to blame. Other symptoms of myopia include difficulty seeing clearly while driving, particularly at night, frequent squinting and difficulty seeing writing on signs and television.

-- If you're having difficulty seeing objects both near and far, you could have astigmatism. Other symptoms of astigmatism include inability to work on a computer, watery eyes and eye fatigue.

If you have these symptoms, it would be best for you to get your eyes checked as soon as possible.