What the Heck is an Optometrist Anyway?

Note: the following information pertains to optometry in Ontario. The scope of practice for optometry may differ depending on where you live in the world.

I lived most of my life in what I will call an “Optometry Bubble.” My father is an optometrist, so I spent my childhood immersed in the world of eyeballs and vision. When I went to optometry school, my optometry bubble grew even bigger! All of my peers, friends and professors knew exactly what an optometrist could do.

It was when I entered into private practice that my optometry bubble finally burst. After speaking to my patients and non-optometry friends, I quickly realized that most people didn’t know what my job was and what made me different from an ophthalmologist or an optician. 

So here it is; an in-depth look at what YOUR optometrist can do to help your eyes.

What Kind of Education Does an Optometrist Have?

To go to optometry school, you typically need a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. You also need to obtain your prerequisite university courses, which include calculus, organic chemistry, physics, immunology, and anatomy and physiology.

My Optometry Graduation: OD / MS Dual Degree

After your four-year Undergraduate degree you must then complete a four-year Doctor of Optometry degree. This is the same length of school as similar professional programs, such as dentistry. In these four years you will learn about optics, anatomy and physiology of the body and the eye, pharmacology and how to treat and diagnose ocular disease. My fourth year of Optometry school consisted of clinical rotations where I worked full time providing optometric care and ocular disease management.

What Can an Optometrist Do?

An optometrist can:

1. Diagnose and treat red eyes such as eye infections, corneal abrasions and ocular inflammatory episodes

2. Monitor ocular health and diagnose and treat many ocular diseases

3. Remove foreign bodies from the eye

4. Prescribe glasses and contact lenses

5. Identify serious ocular conditions (ex. retinal detachment, ocular melanoma) and refer urgently to the appropriate specialist

6. Provide specialty therapies like low vision, specialty contact lenses and dry eye treatments

7. Co-manage laser eye surgery patients

8. Treat lazy eye (amblyopia) and provide vision therapy for eye muscle disorders

What Can’t an Optometrist Do?

Optometrists cannot perform ocular surgeries. They also cannot treat complex glaucomas (ex. narrow angle glaucoma) or provide ocular injections for conditions like wet macular degeneration. However, certain US States are expanding optometrist’s scope of practice. There MAY be a future where optometrists can perform minor ocular surgeries and procedures in Ontario. Ocular surgeries in Canada are typically performed by ophthalmologists, who are medical doctors that specialize in the eye.

Why See an Optometrist?

Optometrists are specialists who have the equipment and expertise necessary to diagnose, treat and/or urgently refer ocular emergencies. Their in-depth ocular health assessment (which typically involves checking eye pressure and examining the eye under a specialized microscope) is crucial for properly diagnosing and treating urgent eye problems such as pink eye. Optometrists can also diagnose and refer potentially sight-threatening conditions like retinal detachment. Many optometrists hold emergency spots for their patients so if you think you are experiencing an eye emergency, call your optometrist ASAP.

Optometrists are essentially the primary care providers for your eyes. They provide routine monitoring of your vision and eye health in order to give you the highest quality vision. They are essential for early detection of ocular disease, which improves your visual outcome. Optometrists can also detect potentially life-threatening health conditions like stroke and high blood pressure by looking at your eyes. Eye exams are recommended yearly, even if you have perfect vision, to help screen for potentially visually damaging conditions. Give your optometrist a call today!

#Optometry #PinkEye #Health #Glasses #Eyes