Our work involves a variety of tasks and procedures aimed at maintaining or improving the eye health and vision of their patients. Here's an overview of how an Ophthalmologist conducts their work:
- Patient Assessment and Medical History: Ophthalmologists begin by taking a thorough medical history of the patient, including any existing medical conditions, medications, and previous eye problems. This information helps them understand the patient's overall health and potential risk factors for eye diseases.
- Visual Acuity Testing: Ophthalmologists often start by measuring a patient's visual acuity, which assesses how well a person can see at various distances. This is typically done using an eye chart with letters of decreasing size.
- Refraction: If necessary, the Ophthalmologist performs a refraction test to determine the patient's prescription for corrective lenses (glasses or contact lenses). This helps correct any refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.
- Slit Lamp Examination: A slit lamp is a specialized microscope that allows the Ophthalmologist to examine the various structures of the eye, including the cornea, lens, iris, and retina. This examination helps detect conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal disorders.
- Dilated Eye Examination: In some cases, the Ophthalmologist may dilate the patient's pupils using eye drops. Dilated pupils allow for a more comprehensive examination of the back of the eye, including the retina and optic nerve. This is crucial for detecting conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and retinal detachments.In some cases, besides these common tests performed during a standard comprehensive eye examination, your optometrist may recommend other, more specialised eye tests.
