An Optometrist Has So Many Professional Talents!

An optometrist is quite versatile in the world of primary health care for the eye! His (or her) ability to be multitalented stems from all of the knowledge and skills he gained while earning a Doctor of Optometry degree (OD). After graduating from college, he spent four years in a professional program to get that OD. 

At the office of Columbia Office, your healthy vision is our top priority. Whether you need eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses or a routine eye exam, you’ll find our staff to be highly skilled and personable. We will help you make informed decisions about the treatments and eye products that are best for you.

An optometrist keeps your vision needs up to date by performing eye exams. He starts by giving you a visual acuity quiz that tests for distance. The Snellen or the Random E. The Snellen is 11 rows of capital letters on a chart 20 feet away. The top line has one very large letter. Each subsequent row has more letters that get increasingly smaller. You cover one eye and call out the smallest line of letters you can see clearly. The Random E employs the same concept but uses only a capital letter E and is for children and adults who have difficulty identifying letters. 

An optometrist uses a retinoscope, which shines a light beam into your retina. By seeing the retina’s refection, he can determine a pretty accurate prescription estimate for you. That estimate is then placed into a phoropter, which is an instrument that’s full of cylinders, prisms and lenses that measure the eye's refractive error to help determine the proper eye prescriptions when he orders eyeglasses or contact lenses.

He uses a paddle to cover and uncover each eye to find out if they’re working as a team, and 3D glasses test for depth perception. Tonometry is a test that measures the pressure inside your eyes, as well as screens for glaucoma. Over time glaucoma can damage an optic nerve and lead to vision loss.

An optometrist also monitors eye conditions related to diseases such as diabetes; manages and treats conditions like dry eye; and provides low-vision aids and vision therapy. 

Need help deciding which eyeglass frames look best on you? He can help with that too! What more could you ask for? 

The office of Columbia Office maintains our patients’ optimal eye health and quality of vision. We are committed to excellence by providing compassionate vision care through our state-of-the-art diagnostic services and high-quality products. Please call us today to make an appointment!