Optometrist Training and Education
Becoming an optometrist requires a doctor of optometry degree and completing rotations at various fields of optometry. Optometrist training covers the entire spectrum of eye care. Doctors are trained to do thorough eye exams to prescribe glasses or contact lenses, offer medical treatment for assorted eye problems, and work closely with eye surgeons for some complex procedures.
Comprehensive Eye Exam
Eye doctors use a wide variety of tests and procedures to examine your eyes. These tests range from simple ones, like having you read an eye chart to complex tests, such as using a high-powered lens to visualize the tiny structures inside of your eyes. During comprehensive exam, doctor screens for cataracts, macular degeneration, corneal ulcers, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and more. An eye exam can take an hour or more, depending on the number and complexity of tests required to fully evaluate your vision and the health of your eyes.
Contact Lens Exam
Your eye doctor will perform special tests during a contact lens exam to evaluate your vision with contacts. A routine eye exam is not the same as a contact lens exam. It is necessary to ensure the lenses are fitting both eyes properly and that the health of the eyes is not harmed by the contact lenses.
Dilation
You may think your eyes are healthy, but visiting an eye care professional for a comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to really be sure. During the exam, each eye is closely inspected for signs of common vision problems and eye diseases, many of which have no early warning signs. Drops placed in each eye widen the pupil, which is the opening in the center of the iris (the colored part of the eye). Dilating the pupil allows more light to enter the eye the same way opening a door allows light into a dark room. Once dilated, each eye is examined using a special magnifying lens that provides a clear view of important tissues at the back of the eye, including the retina, the macula, and the optic nerve.
Optomap
Optomap was founded 20 years ago by Douglas Anderson after his then five-year-old son, Leif, went blind in one eye when a retinal detachment was detected too late. Douglas set out to develop a patient-friendly retinal imaging product that encompassed a digital ultra-widefield image of the retina easily.