As this role evolved into that of the primary eye care provider, the routine eye exam progressed into a more comprehensive evaluation of eye and overall health. The subsequent inclusion of dilation in the routine eye exam has increased the early detection of abnormal eye conditions and diseases, which, in turn, has facilitated early intervention and treatment. Trained to identify ocular manifestations of systemic diseases as well as eye conditions and diseases, optometrists regard the routine eye exam as an opportunity to determine a patient s general health. This ratio is but one indicator of their growing role as primary eye care providers. Treating Ocular Defects Optometrists are best known for treating refractive disorders.
Refraction is the process by which the eye bends light to form an image on the retina.
Impaired refraction creates distorted vision. These disorders generally require the prescription of corrective lenses. When treating refractive disorders with corrective lenses, optometrists check for any concomitant aberration of the eye s lens, such as astigmatism. Lens aberrations impact the way the eye focuses and their presence generally requires modification to prescriptions for refractive correction. Convergence insufficiency, or the difficulty in getting both eyes to focus together on one subject, results from dysfunctional eye muscles and is characterized by blurred or double vision.