The Optometrist And His Responsibilities

Many people confuse an optometrist for an ophthalmologist (and the other way around) while some think they are one and the same. The difference between the two lies on how they diagnose and treat their patients. The one that has studied optometry is the eye doctor who diagnoses and treats conditions in the eyes that stem from the structure of the organ itself, vision and the processing of the data that the organ gets from its surroundings. Although they can be licensed and qualified to treat some kinds of diseases centered on this particular area of the face, most of these professionals prefer to stay within the realm that they are most familiar with and refer issues and problems of their patients to ophthalmologists or EENTs.

Diagnosis
The way that the optometrist diagnoses his patient may be similar to that of other doctors who also focus on the organ that gives us vision. Refraction is a common way of diagnosing the extent or the limitation of a person's vision. Many doctors use equipment that can refract and give an accurate reading with regards to the visual capacity of an individual. When the practitioner finds out the capacity of the patient when it comes to vision, he will then recommend a remedy to enable the patient to regain part or most of his or her vision. There are also some times when the doctor might find a condition or a disease in the patient's eye. Since he or she is educated in optometry and this touches other fields connected to the state of the eyes, it is possible that he can diagnose it accurately and treat it.

Treatment
The most common treatment that is prescribed for the patient is eyeglasses or contact lenses. The glasses may be prescription eyeglasses, which are usually made to order to balance out the deficiency that the optometrist may have seen during the refraction of the patient's eyes. There are two issues that usually plague people when they cannot see properly. These are myopia and hyperopia, namely nearsightedness and farsightedness. Most cases of either condition are not reversible so the practitioner may recommend prescription glasses. Most contact lenses are for the remedy of nearsightedness or myopia whereas; hyperopia is usually treated with wearing eyeglasses. An optician is an individual who fits the eyeglasses to the prescription of the doctor. In a way, he or she makes the glasses that the doctor orders for the patient.

During times when the practitioner notices a disease in an eye or in both eyes, he may prescribe treatment for it if he is familiar with it. Topical solutions in the form of drops are the usual treatments but the optometrist is limited to the condition of the eye only and may recommend his or her patient to another professional such as an ophthalmologist, an EENT or a neurologist as well as any other medical doctor that he or she sees fit to diagnose the condition better or more accurately. It is not unusual for this professional to consult with others in the medical field in order to accurately assess and diagnose the patient's condition.