Optometry services play a crucial role in maintaining good eye health. It involves examining, diagnosing, and treating various eye conditions to ensure optimal vision and overall well-being.
Preventive Eye Care
Daily tasks like reading, watching TV, or computer work can cause eye strain, leading to vision loss or problems. The good news is that early treatment can prevent or reduce the severity of these problems.
An optometrist can perform an eye exam that includes a visual assessment, a pressure test, and an assessment of how well the eyes focus, move, and work together. An optometrist can also test for lazy eye (amblyopia) when one eye has poorer vision.
Optometrists can provide services that may prevent a patient’s vision problem from worsening, and they can help people manage existing conditions such as macular degeneration or cataracts. In addition, optometrists from trusted optometry services in Wellington can offer education and training to promote healthy eyes and vision, including the importance of wearing protective eyewear. They can also participate in research surveys that address public health issues.
Early Detection of Eye Diseases
A comprehensive eye exam will detect many diseases in their early stages when they are less likely to cause symptoms. In addition, eye care professionals can spot symptoms of conditions that may not be immediately obvious, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
In addition, many autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, can manifest themselves in the eyes. Optometrists can also spot these conditions, leading to prompt referral and diagnosis by primary care physicians. Thyroid disease, such as hyperthyroidism, can also be present in the eyes, causing bulging or dry eyes. Optometrists can spot these signs and refer patients to endocrinologists.
Optometrists can also screen for several skin cancers. These are often easier to spot on the eyelids, one of the first areas to be exposed to ultraviolet rays. This can help prevent the development of a serious skin malignancy that could spread throughout the body and threaten overall health and quality of life.
Treatment of Eye Diseases
Optometrists can treat many eye diseases, including cataracts, glaucoma, and recurrent infections like conjunctivitis or a stye. Optometrists can also prescribe topical or oral medications for ocular diseases that don’t require specialist treatment.
Certain autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, can manifest in the eyes as inflammation or changes in the appearance of the eye. Optometrists can spot these symptoms during an eye exam and prompt further evaluation by a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Our eyelids are often one of the first areas to show signs of various types of skin cancer. Optometrists can easily spot these lesions and begin treatment immediately, thus reducing the chance of the disease spreading.
Prevent Blindness
Sadly, millions of people around the world lose their sight and lead less fulfilling lives because they cannot afford to get the basic eye care that would allow them to see. This is a tragic waste of human potential that can be prevented.
Optometrists can help by providing a variety of affordable services. These include screening for common vision problems, diagnosing ocular diseases, and prescribing eyeglasses. They can also help prevent blindness by raising awareness of the need for eye care and conducting educational campaigns.
Another way to prevent blindness is to ensure that governmental public health departments emphasize eye and vision care equally. This will require a significant investment in building capacities, including training for optometrists and developing practical and cost-effective supply systems. It makes little sense to bring 50% of the population who need refractive services into hospitals when they can be screened, refracted, and supplied with spectacles in community settings.