Article By Jennifer Palombi, OD, with updates by Gary Heiting, OD
* Who should get an exam?
* What does the doctor check for?
* Screenings vs. exams

Routine eye exams are important — regardless of your age or your physical health.

During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor does much more than just determine your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses. He or she will also check your eyes for common eye diseases, assess how your eyes work together as a team and evaluate your eyes as an indicator of your overall health.
Who Should Get Their Eyes Examined?

Eye examinations are an important part of health maintenance for everyone. Adults should have their eyes tested to keep their prescriptions current and to check for early signs of eye disease. And eye exams for children play an important role in ensuring normal vision development and academic achievement of all kids.

Vision is closely linked to the learning process. Children who have trouble seeing or interpreting what they see will often have trouble with their schoolwork. Many times, children will not complain of vision problems simply because they don’t know what “normal” vision looks like. If your child performs poorly at school or exhibits a reading or learning disability, be sure to have his eyes examined by an eye doctor who specializes in children’s vision to rule out an underlying visual cause.

What Is the Eye Doctor Checking for?

In addition to evaluating your eyes for glasses and contacts, your eye doctor will check your eyes for eye diseases and other problems that could lead to vision loss. Here are some examples of the conditions that your eye doctor will be looking for:

* Refractive Error: This refers to your prescription, including nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Refractive error is corrected with eyeglasses, contacts or refractive surgery.
* Amblyopia: This occurs when the eyes are turned or when one eye has a much different prescription than the other. The brain will “shut off” the image from the turned or blurry eye. Left untreated, amblyopia can stunt the visual development of the affected eye, resulting in permanent vision impairment. Amblyopia is often treated by patching the stronger eye for periods of time.
* Strabismus: Strabismus is defined as crossed or turned eyes. The examiner will check your eyes’ alignment to be sure that they are working together. Strabismus causes problems with depth perception and can lead to amblyopia.
* Eye Teaming Problems: Even if you eyes appear to be properly aligned, it’s possible they do not work together efficiently as a team. Such binocular vision problems can cause headaches, eyestrain and other problems that can affect reading and other near vision tasks.
* Focusing Problems: These problems can range from incompletely developed focusing skills in children to normal age-related declines in focusing ability (presbyopia) among older adults.
* Eye Diseases: Many eye diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, have no symptoms in their early stages. Your eye doctor will check the health of your eyes inside and out for signs of early problems. In most cases, early detection and treatment of eye diseases can help reduce your risk for permanent vision loss.
* Other Diseases: Eye doctors can detect early signs of some conditions and diseases by looking at your eye’s blood vessels, retina and so forth. Your eye doctor may be able to tell you if you are developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other problems.

For example, diabetes can cause small blood vessel leaks or bleeding in the eye, as well as swelling of the macula, which can lead to vision loss. Your eye doctor will likely detect this during a complete eye exam. It is estimated that one-third of Americans who have diabetes don’t know it; your eye doctor may detect the disease before your primary care physician does, especially if you’re overdue for a physical.

After a comprehensive exam, your eye doctor will discuss the findings and offer treatment options best suited to your needs.
Why Vision Screenings Are No Substitute for a Complete Eye Exam

Vision screenings are limited eye tests that help identify people who are at risk for vision problems. These are the brief vision tests performed by the school nurse, a pediatrician, other health care providers or volunteers. The eye test that you take when you get your driver’s license renewed is an example of a vision screening.

Depending on who is performing the test and where the test is given, vision screenings may include tests for blur, muscle coordination and/or common eye diseases. A vision screening can indicate that you need to get your eyes checked, but it does not serve as a substitute for a comprehensive eye exam.

A comprehensive eye examination is performed by an eye doctor and includes careful testing of all aspects of your vision. Based upon the results of your exam, your eye doctor will then recommend a treatment plan for your individual needs. Remember, only an eye doctor can provide a comprehensive eye exam — family physicians and pediatricians are not fully trained to do this, and studies have shown that they can miss important vision problems that require treatment.

Source: http://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-exam/importance.htm

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Optometrist vs Ophthalmologist, Do You Know The Difference?

An Optometrist is a health care professional who is licensed to provide primary eye care services:

• to examine and diagnose eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal diseases and, in certain states in the U.S., to treat them;

• to diagnose related systemic (bodywide) conditions such as hypertension and diabetes that may affect the eyes;
• to examine, diagnose and treat visual conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia; and
• to prescribe glasses, contact lenses, low vision rehabilitation and medications as well as perform minor surgical procedures such as the removal of foreign bodies.

An optometrist is a Doctor of Optometry, an O.D. (not to be confused with a Doctor of Medicine, an M.D.). To become an optometrist, one must complete pre-professional undergraduate college education followed by 4 years of professional education in a college of optometry. Some optometrists also do a residency.

An Ophthalmologist is an eye M.D., a medical doctor who is specialized in eye and vision care. Ophthalmologists are trained to provide the full spectrum of eye care, from prescribing glasses and contact lenses to complex and delicate eye surgery. They may also be involved in eye research.

After 4 years of medical school and a year of internship, every ophthalmologist spends a minimum of 3 years of residency (hospital-based training) in ophthalmology. During residency, the eye M.D. receives special training in all aspects of eye care, including prevention, diagnosis and medical and surgical treatment of eye conditions and diseases. An ophthalmologist may spend an additional year or two in training in a subspecialty, that is, a specific area of eye care such as:

• Cornea and External Disease: The diagnosis and management of diseases of the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva and eyelids, including corneal dystrophies, microbial infections, conjunctival and corneal tumors, inflammatory processes and anterior ocular manifestations of systemic diseases. Training frequently includes corneal transplant surgery and corneal surgery to correct refractive errors.

• Glaucoma: The treatment of glaucoma and other disorders that may cause optic nerve damage by increasing intraocular pressure. This involves the medical and surgical treatment of both pediatric and adult patients.
• Neuro-ophthalmology: The relationship between neurologic and ophthalmic diseases, neuro-ophthalmology also deals with local pathology affecting the optic nerve and visual pathways. Over 50% of all intracranial lesions involve the visual or oculomotor pathways.
• Ophthalmic Pathology: Training in both ophthalmology and pathology. Because of the unique combination of skills involved in this subspecialty, it is usually the ophthalmic pathologist, rather than the general pathologist, who examines tissue specimens from the eye and adnexa (related structures).
• Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery: Includes orbital surgery, lid and upper facial reconstructive procedures following trauma and tumors and cosmetic lid surgery. Oculoplastic surgeons combine ophthalmic surgery with plastic surgery and are trained in the use of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and chemosurgery to treat ocular and orbital disease.
• Pediatric Ophthalmology: The medical and surgical management of strabismus, amblyopia, genetic and developmental abnormalities and a wide range of inflammatory, traumatic and neoplastic conditions occurring in the first two decades of life.

Optician vs. Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist

A patient that requires contact lenses or glasses will seek the help of an optician. An optician fills lens prescriptions for contact lenses and glasses, written by the optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Opticians are not responsible, nor trained, for eye examinations or treatment solutions for eye disorders. They help you pick our your frames and adjust them to fit comfortably.

Optometrists are doctors who perform annual examinations to treat any vision problems and detect signs of disease and abnormal conditions. Examinations may also include testing for glaucoma, color perception, depth, and the ability to focus and coordinate the eyes. Optometrists must be licensed, have a Doctor of Optometry degree, and pass a state board examination.

Ophthalmologists must acquire a Doctor of Medicine degree, a broad knowledge of general medicine, and clinical training. If a person requires medical or surgical care for an eye disease or an eye injury, he or she will seek the assistance of an ophthalmologist. Your refractive laser surgeon MUST be an ophthalmologist. Ophthalmologists must acquire a Doctor of Medicine degree, a broad knowledge of general medicine, and clinical training. This provides them with enough experience to diagnose and treat all types of eye disorders.

Ophthalmologists are the only eye care professionals certified to perform surgery on the eye. A subspecialist has undergone additional years of medical training exclusively in their chosen area of expertise, for example, retinal diseases, glaucoma, cornea or pediatrics.

Source: Laser Surgury For Eyes

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The term “optometry” comes from the Greek word optos, meaning eye or vision, and metria, meaning measurement.

The eye, including its structure and mechanism, has fascinated scientists and the public in general since ancient times. Many of the expressions in the English language that mean to understand are equivalent vision terms. “I see”, to mean I understand.

Many patients when told that they may have an eye problem will be more concerned about diseases that affect vision than other, more lethal diseases. Being deprived of sight can have a devastating effect on the psyche, as well as economic and social effects, as many blind individuals require significant assistance with activities of daily living and are often unable to continue gainful employment previously held while seeing[citation needed].

The maintenance of ocular health and correction of eye problems that decrease vision contribute greatly to the ability to appreciate the longer lifespan that all of medicine continues to allow. Given the importance of vision to quality of life, many optometrists consider their job to be rewarding, as they are often able to restore or improve a patient’s sight.

Behavioural optometry is a related area of non-strabismus vision therapy that some optometrists practice. Generally Ophthalmologists and Orthoptists do not practice this.

In the United States, optometrist have tried to obtain from state legislatures, the right to treat more eye conditions and to perform certain laser surgeries. Optometrists have been successful in getting the right to use some types of medication, depending on if the medication is given as pills, eye drops, or injections. In Oklahoma, optometrists are allowed by the state legislature to do certain kinds of surgery.

Optometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans.

Like most health 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. Optometry is one of three eye care professions, the others being Ophthalmology (which is a branch of medicine) and Orthoptics (a sub-specialty of ophthalmology primarily dealing with strabismus).

source wikipedia

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If you have ever experienced even mild vision problems, it is probably a good idea to get an eye exam. Not only could you find out you have a very correctable vision problem, but getting an eye exam could also save your life. There are some very serious health problems that begin as blurred or compromised vision that can be treated – but only if you find the problem and get it diagnosed early. Here is what you need to know about traditional eye exams and what you may find once you get one.