Getting the Proper Eye Care
Proper eye care is essential, whether you have a medical condition or want to take care of your eyes for general health. Having Proper eye care will help you prevent and treat eye disorders. One of the leading causes of blindness is diabetic retinopathy. A new initiative from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Focus on Diabetes, will focus on this devastating complication. This initiative will highlight the importance of annual comprehensive eye exams and the need for eye care for those with diabetes.
Ophthalmologist
Whether you are seeking treatment for glaucoma or cataracts, an ophthalmologist for eye care can help. These eye doctors are trained to perform surgical and medical procedures.
They may perform cataract surgery, diabetic eye care, or retinal surgery. They can also prescribe medications. A qualified ophthalmologist can also diagnose and treat glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye disorders.
Whether you seek eye care for yourself or a loved one, you’ll want to make sure you choose a doctor who understands your needs. Your eye doctor should be able to answer your questions in an easy-to-understand way. You’ll also want to ask about the kind of care you’ll receive and whether you’ll need to pay for it.
Ask friends, family, and co-workers for referrals if you’re looking for an ophthalmologist. You can also look online for reviews. Read them to see if other patients had positive experiences with the doctor.
Before you choose an ophthalmologist, consider your gender, age, and health. Depending on your condition, you may need to have additional testing.
Diagnosis
During an eye exam, your eye care specialist may take an array of measurements, tests, and scans to help diagnose an eye disease or condition. Eye exams usually include a visual field test, tonometry, refraction, and ophthalmoscopy. The eye care specialist may also use an additional lens to examine the angle between your iris and the front part of your eye.
Eye drops may also dilate your pupils and help your doctor see the structures inside your eye better. Eye drops may also cause temporary changes to your vision.
An optical coherence tonometer (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging test that allows your eye care specialist to see the retinal layers. This type of test can help diagnose retinal diseases.
A computer is used to convert 3-D images into a series of detailed pictures. It also can tell your doctor if your eyes are functioning well. The OCT also can detect the signs of eye cancer.
Treatment
Keeping your eyes healthy is essential for your visual well-being. It is crucial to monitor your eye health to prevent eye problems before they occur. Keeping your eyes healthy is a simple task that can be accomplished with the help of your eye care provider.
An eye care provider offers many different services. Some of these services include contact lenses, glaucoma treatments, vision tests, and eyeglasses. Depending on your needs, you may need to see an eye care provider several times yearly.
For instance, you might need to examine your eyes after you suffer from a cataract. Symptoms include blurry or double vision, halos around lights, and trouble seeing at night. A cataract can also cause headaches and eye strain. You can treat a cataract with topical eye drops or surgery.
In addition, your eye care provider may also provide a more thorough ocular examination with advanced technology. A slit lamp may examine the lens, cornea, and iris. The slit lamp uses a highly concentrated line of light to magnify and illuminate the front of the eye. The slit lamp also uses a fluorescein dye to reveal damaged cells on the front of the eye.
Prevention
Investing in eye health promotion and prevention is a cost-effective way to reduce the number of people affected by blindness. It involves several components, including health education, health promotion, and advocacy. Health education promotes the awareness of individuals about eye disease and its prevention. It motivates people to change their behavior to reduce the likelihood of developing infections.
Health promotion can also include behavioral models and social research to help understand factors determining health decision-making. Advocacy can also help convince governments to channel increased resources to eye health promotion.
The “VISION 2020: The Right to Sight” international initiative is aimed at reducing the doubling of blindness from 1990 to 2020. It has increased funding from governments and corporate sectors and helped to formulate national eye health strategic plans. However, it needs to spend the next eight years increasing advocacy at the national level.