OPTOMETRY

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ולשיפור האנגלית המקצועית

Optometry is a vision care specialty that is concerned with the health of the eyes, the visual system, and related structures. It has to do with the examination of the eyes to evaluate health and visual abilities, diagnosis of eye disease and conditions of the eye and visual system, and provision of necessary treatment by the use of eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other functional, optical, surgical, and pharmaceutical means as regulated by the law.

A person that specializes on optometry is called an optometrist. An optometrist is a health care professional who specializes in function and disorders of the eye, detection of eye disease, and some types of eye disease management. An optometrist conducts eye examination, prescribes corrective contact lenses and glasses, and diagnoses and treats eye diseases and disorders.

Optometrists do the following:
Examine the eyes for visual defects, diagnose problems or impairment, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide certain types of treatment.
Perform certain surgical procedures, such as laser treatment; administer injections, such as local anesthesia or treatment for macular degeneration; and prescribe diagnostic, therapeutic, and oral medications.
Involved in scientific research into the causes of, and cures for, a range of vision problems.
Treat conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
Provides low vision aid and vision therapy.
Diagnose eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and conjunctivitis (not is Israel)
Participate in pre-or post-operative care for people who need surgery.

An optometrist is not a medical doctor. An optometrist receives a doctor of optometry (OD) degree after completing four years of optometry school, preceded by one year or more years of college. They are licensed to practice optometry.

Branches of optometry include:
Pediatric Optometry
This is a branch of optometry that is concerned with the development, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of visual problems in children. It has to do with the provision of visual therapy to children that suffer from several vision problems such as focusing problems, wandering eye problems, or lazy eye.

Geriatric Optometry
This is another branch of Optometry that deals with the treatment of elderly patients. It involves the conduction of eye examination and prescribing glasses and contact lenses like all optometrist do. It is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of visual problems in old age.

Primary care Optometry
Primary care optometrists are responsible for more than just visual needs of their patients. They may refer some of their patients to other practitioners such as ophthalmologists, neurologists or to other optometric specialists for specialized services such as paediatric optometry, low vision aids or highly specialized aspects of contact lens fitting.

Behavioural Optometry
This is an expanded area of optometric practice that uses a holistic approach to the treatment of vision problems. Behavioural optometry incorporates various vision therapy methods and is an advanced scoped of practice.

Experimental Optometry
This is the branch of optometry that deals with scientific investigation of optometric problems by experimentation upon humans or animals, or by clinical research.