Optometry jobs entail prescribing and fitting corrective lenses to patients. An optometrist is a doctor who specializes in eye care and the prescription of corrective lenses for people who have vision problems. Other optometry jobs include opticians, orthoptists, and ocularists, in addition to optometrists. Optometrists have post-baccalaureate degrees in optometry that last four years. Opticians sell glasses and contact lenses, orthoptists diagnose ocular motility problems, and ocularists make and fit ocular prosthetics.
Ophthalmology is similar to optometry, but it is distinguished by the fact that ophthalmologists specialize in the surgical treatment of eyes. Unlike other professions, optometry does not require surgery. Because orthoptists may assist opthalmolgists with surgery, this position can be classified as either optometry or ophthalmology.
Optometrists are doctors who specialize in eye care. They perform refractive vision correction, or prescribing corrective lenses for vision problems, as well as diagnosing common eye diseases and disorders. They have the authority to prescribe drugs for the treatment of eye diseases. Optometrists write prescriptions for glasses and contact lenses, but they don’t usually assist patients in selecting glasses; this is the job of an optician.
Spectacles, contact lenses, low vision aids, and ocular prosthetics are all designed, fitted, and dispensed by optometrists. An optician begins with an optometrist’s prescription for corrective lenses and works with the patient to select glasses or contact lenses. When consulting with patients about designing a corrective lens to meet their needs, they frequently consider both fashion and function. Opticians work in a variety of settings, but they typically collaborate with an ophthalmologist or optometrist in joint practice.
The muscles and nerves around the eye, rather than the eye itself, are involved in some eye problems. An orthoptist is a health care professional who diagnoses and treats these conditions. Ambylopia, also known as lazy eye, and strabismus, or cross-eyedness, are two of the most common conditions seen by orthoptists. Exercising the eye muscles or temporarily covering one eye with a patch to strengthen the other eye are common treatments.
The ocularist is the last of the optometry jobs. Ocularists are doctors who specialize in the design and fitting of ocular prostheses for people who have lost an eye due to disease or injury. Ocularists can work with optometrists or ophthalmologists and have a variety of training options. They could be optometrists, dentists, nurses, or doctors, among other professions.