Optometry

Optometry is a health field involving the primary health of the eye involving routine eye care. According to Healthline, “An optometrist is an eye doctor that can examine, diagnose, and treat your eyes.” Historically, they were involved in correcting refractive error with the use of glasses or contacts but today their scope has broadened. They also deal with eye diseases.

Optometrists use a variety of instruments or devices to perform tests. Here are a few common instruments:

• Ophthalmoscope: This instrument is used in an eye exam to look at the interior surface of the eye such as the retina. It is typically used in an eye exam. Though there are a few types of ophthalmoscopes, the most recognizable is a handheld one about the size of a flashlight. It has multiple lenses and a magnification of up to 15x.
• Phoropter: This device measures refractive error. It is used in a typical eye exam to test which prescription lens will help correct the patient's vision. It's placed in front of the patient and various lenses are compared to determine the correct strength for glasses but the test can also be used to measure the eye's natural resting position, binocular vision, eye movements, and near-distance focal ability. It is made up of lenses, prisms, and cylinders.
• Tonometer: This instrument measures the eye's intraocular pressure. There are different types of this device, such as the Tono-pen and air puff tonometer.
• Retinoscope: If a patient isn't able to answer questions regarding which lens is more effective during a phoropter exam, the doctor may use this device to measure the refractive error. The retinoscope is used to shine a light into the retina and examine its movement. This will also help determine the proper corrective lens for the patient.

• Optometry on Wikipedia
• Optometry on Healthline
• Optometry on WebMD

Image by 272447 from Pixabay