|
|
Optometrists in all Idaho settings are independent, primary health care providers who examine, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases and disorders of the visual system, the eye and associated structures as well as diagnose related systemic conditions. Optometrists are an integral part of the health care team. As eye care practitioners, they are skilled in pre- and post-surgical management and work in partnership with skilled ophthalmologist surgeons. They are highly trained to examine the structures of the eye to detect, diagnose and treat:
Vision conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia
Binocular vision conditions such as convergence insufficiency, which can cause eye discomfort and difficulty reading
Eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, retinal disorders and other eye disease
Systemic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes
Traumatic eye injuries
Idaho optometrists prescribe and may provide eyeglasses, contact lenses, low vision aids and vision therapy. They prescribe and administer the full range of medications available to treat eye diseases and they perform certain minor surgical procedures. Optometrists also do testing to determine the patient's ability to focus and coordinate the eye, judge depth perception, and see colors accurately. In summary, Idaho's optometric physicians are dominant in caring for the medical and vision needs of the state's citizens.
|
|
