Eye health care specialists, primarily known as optometrists are skilled to detect eye problems including defects in vision, abnormality, or other injury problems.
Optometrists are responsible for monitoring general health problems including diabetes or high blood pressure. They offer clinical health advice and health assessment, and they can prescribe contact lenses. They also refer the patients for further procedure of treatment if needed. Make sure, an optometrist cannot prescribe any medicine and cannot perform any eye surgery. In this regard, if you have any serious eye problems then you must consult an ophthalmologist.
An Optometrist studies a three-year course at a university. They should have participated in proper clinical training with proper knowledge. After completing the course, they can go for further studies and develop their skills as eye care professionals. For all the procedures, they must join the respective council in their countries. The regulatory body indicates whether fellow opticians belong to the high standard of practice or not.
How would you become an optometrist?
If you have a hidden passion in the eye care industry, you may think about optometry. There are a few roles in which you must show your interest.
Dispensing Optician:
It is related to clinical practice, and an optometrist can prescribe spectacles as per the requirement of the people. They may advise which lenses are suitable for the person.
Dispensing Opticians are good to go after the completion of specialist training. Find out the training module from the respective regulatory council and choose the best one for your specialization.
Ophthalmologist:
They are registered practitioners who have a degree in ophthalmology. They play the same role as an optometrist. They test sights, examine eyes, prescribe suitable corrective measures, and also diagnose unwanted abnormalities. But, they are the registered doctors who can perform eye surgery and prescribe medicines.
They perform as surgical specialists for successful operations on the eyes. They are well-qualified and work in eye departments in hospitals.
Orthoptists:
They are the colleagues of the ophthalmologist. They are much concerned about eye movements and related problems. For example, if you are suffering from some common problems like lazy eye, squint, or double vision, then you can consult an Orthoptist.
Practicing Scope of The Optometrists:
They are licensed by the government to perform certain procedures. It varies from country to country.
The general scopes are:
Surgical procedures related to eyes
Prescription of medications with controlled substances
Inclusion of the treatment of orbital structures of eyes.
The optometrist must have a valid license. If you want to consult an optometrist, then you must check his/her license before you visit.
Conditional Treatment of the Optometry:
There are a few conditions the optometrists can perform.
Glaucoma: It refers to an optic nerve damage condition and it is quite risky as it is connected to our brain. It may occur irreversible blindness. An optometrist may diagnose it and prepare the treatment plan according to the requirement. But, he cannot prescribe any medicine for the same.
Cataracts: These occur when our eye lenses develop some patches in the natural vision. They will grow larger over time and may cause potential blindness. An optometrist may diagnose it and prescribe suitable eyeglasses to get rid of the symptoms.
Retinal Disorders: These includes general symptoms including vision loss or blurred vision. It also includes retinal detachment, floaters, epiretinal membrane, and diabetic retinopathy. If you have such problems then you can consult an optometrist.
Myopia: It is a kind of eye defect which is also referred to as near-sightedness. It makes far vision very difficult for a person. Treatments include contact lenses, eyeglasses, corneal refractive procedures, and surgeries. An ophthalmologist will regularly perform and monitor these procedures.
It is often seen that children are assessed with color blindness. There are also other issues regarding ocular manifestations. The job is quite versatile for the eye specialist.
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