An optometrist West St Paul MN plays a very big role in eye care. This is a specialist who has been trained to diagnose and treat various eye problems. Some run their own clinics by themselves whereas others practice together with other eye specialists. Due to the role they play in health care, it is important to visit one at least once in two years.
To qualify as an optometrist, one has to undergo training for a number of years and pass an exam at the end of the training. The training involves both practical and theory work, which is aimed at preparing one to work as an eye specialist. After meeting all the requirements, one qualifies to practice and they can run their own clinic or seek employment in already established eye clinics. Therefore, when you visit one, you will be visiting someone who has the knowledge and experience in handling eye problems.
The main role of an optometrist in eye care is to diagnose and treat certain conditions. As part of the diagnosis, the specialist usually does eye screening to detect any problems with vision. When you visit one, they will ask you to read numbers from a board so as to determine whether you are long sighted or short sighted.
They also perform checks to detect eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma. Cataracts cause the natural lens of the eye to change color and are most common among the elderly. Glaucoma is an eye disorder that usually causes blindness if not addressed early enough. If the two conditions are detected early, the treatment is usually very effective and less costly. Thus, visiting the specialist is recommended since it helps detect problems that can cause blindness if not addressed early enough.
The optometrist is also trained to offer treatment and prescriptions for conditions that are detected during the diagnosis. Some of the treatments they offer include lens, spectacles, medication, and minor surgery. If your condition requires a major surgery, most of them will refer you to another specialist for the treatment. This is because the initial training they receive does not qualify them to carry out such procedures. However, some undergo more training and thus they will be able to carry out the procedures by themselves.
These are among the reasons why you should visit an optometrist West St Paul MN regularly. Early detection will save your eyesight and unnecessarily high costs that you would have incurred if the problem was detected at a late stage. They can also relate eye problems with other health conditions such as diabetes. If one suspects that your eye problem is due to another health problem, they will refer you to a doctor for proper diagnosis of the problem.
Visiting an Optometrists in West St Paul who can highly trained professionals that work in the healthcare sector focusing on eye and vision care for people of all ages, races, and genders.