An optometrist is an eye doctor who examines, diagnoses, manages, and treats different types of problems with human eyes. Often, such a professional does not only deal with the eye but also with the associated structures and systems. S/he is well versed with the ways to examine internal and external structures to diagnose problems like glaucoma, cataract, and different retinal disorders. In addition to these, such a professional will also be able to diagnose associated problems like hypertension, astigmatism, diabetes, and near-sightedness.
So, you can see that you can associate an optometrist with different roles. A few of those are discussed below in brief:
- One of the most important roles of an eye doctor is to question the patient and determine correctly the nature of visual problem s/he is facing. If you pay a visit to the clinic of an optometrist, you will be asked loads of questions about your eyesight and problems you are facing. S/he will also take into account your medical history and eyesight before determining your visual needs correctly.
- An eye doctor will then go for quantification of your level of vision. S/he will also measure refractive status of your eyes. Accordingly, s/he will provide a prescription, which includes suggestions and advices for medications and ways to improve your eyesight.
- The roles of an optometrist is not limited to prescribing medication, but, s/he will also be able to examine the coordination between the two eyes. Thereby, s/he will prescribe exercises, lenses, or administer other forms of treatments.
- An eye doctor uses various equipment and techniques to examine the health of the eyes. A few of the techniques a optometrist uses are opthalmoscope and biomicroscope. In addition to these, various techniques are used to detect problems at the back end of the eyes.
- In addition to all these such a professional will detect any type of abnormality through special tests. Measuring the extent of eyesight, assessing pressure inside the eyes, and photographing or ocular imaging are a few of the important roles of an eye doctor.
These are a few of the important roles of an optometrist. While choosing such a professional you should check that the professional you are choosing is aware of his/her roles. You should research well and find out whether the professional is abiding by his/her roles as an eye doctor. This you can also find out by reading reviews and testimonials of previous patients of the professional you are choosing. Furthermore, you should know that when it comes to finding an optometrist, Sunnyvale is where you can find a few of the renowned ones.
