Eye Care and Vision Care

Eye Care

- Total eye care encompasses a comprehensive medical eye examination

- This includes not only the measurement of vision but a determination of the health of the eye in order to diagnose problems or diseases that interfere with or threaten vision,including many medical and neurological diseases which may present with ocular manifestations

- Eye care therefore includes medical and surgical treatment as well as vision care such as the fitting of corrective glasses and contact lenses


Vision Care

-Concerns the proper functioning of the eyes with regard to eye sight

-It includes the testing of visual acuity,refraction(measurement of the refractive state of the eyes and determining the need for corrective lenses,and,at times,testing of depth perception and color vision

-These measurements of vision may show a need for glasses or contact lenses,but they are part of total eye care.

-Vision care refers to these aspects of eye care and should be confused or equated with total eye care

Ophthalmologist

-Is a medical doctor(MD) with postgraduate training in the field of ophthalmology

-His general and specialised medical training enables him: to perform complete eye examination including refraction;promote prevention and early detection of eye diseases;to perform medical and surgical procedures necessary for their treatment;to determine when corrective lenses/contact lenses are needed for a particular vision problem and equally important,when they are not needed ;to prescribe glasses and contact lenses,and to dispense and fit contact lenses.

-The ophthalmologist is therefore the only one who is qualified to provide total eye care as well vision care.

Optometrist

-Is a graduate at University level with degree in Optometry or PhD level or certain country give Optometry Doctor(OD) with training in the field of functional eye diseases and vision sciences.

-Optometrist are specialist in vision care and in visual performance

-They are concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of defects of vision and impairment of visual performance.

-Their treatment includes spectacle or contact lenses,the provision of special magnifying or telescopic devices for the visually impaired,training to improve visual development in young children or training to eliminate eye muscle defects and strengthen binocular vision and vision therapy.

-Optometrist consult with their patients and advised them on correct visual habits and ocular hygiene and they counsel them on visual problems and their prevention.

-Optometrists are qualified to recognise eye diseases (whether pathological or functional eye diseases) but not to treat it with drugs or surgery.Normally optometrist treat functional eye diseases with lenses,they used drug for examination purposes eg cycloplegic drugs.

-When an optometrist finds evidence of pathological diseases in the eye (during their routine eye examination),the patient is referred to a medical practitioner or eye surgeon for medical or surgical treatment.

-Optometrist therefore are trained vision care professionals but they are not qualified to provide total eye care.


Orthoptists

-Are non-medical practitioners who are trained in the detection and evaluation of squints and disorders of eye movements

-They also have the skills required for the treatment of vision problems associated with these disorders,such as eye patching and special vision exercises for accomodation-convergence disorders and the use of prisms in eliminating diplopia

-Their primary role is to assist ophthalmologist in the overall management of patients with eye movement disorders and they do not and cannot surgically correct squint.


Optician

-Optician perform refractions,dispense and fit glasses and may also be skilled in the manufacturing and grinding of spectacle lenses

-The training and qualifications of optician is varies but some have suitable experience and recognised qualifications for dispensing and fitting contact lenses as well.