What does the daily work of an optometrist look like?

If you think that optometrists only ask you to read the tiny letters and choose between one or the other, you’re not much mistaken, but that’s only a small part of their job. In fact, optometrists do much more than meets the eye.

An optometrist’s day usually starts with reviewing and preparing client data. In their daily work, optometrists use a variety of diagnostic equipment that enables them to provide the best vision solution for each client.

In addition to visual acuity, an optometrist also assesses:

• Dryness of the eyes
• Cooperation between the eyes
• Perception of contrast and colour vision
• The fit and strength of soft contact lenses needed

Some optometrists are also qualified to fit hard contact lenses for clients with an eye condition called keratoconus—a condition in which the cornea becomes thinner and loses its optical quality as it changes shape.

An optometrist’s job is not limited to prescribing glasses. They will help you choose the right frames and lenses, bend the frames to fit comfortably, and make any minor repairs, such as replacing nose pads, tamils or screws. Some optometrists also work as opticians in a workshop and make glasses themselves.

It is particularly exciting for optometrists who work in clinics together with ophthalmologists. In these cases, the optometrist works alongside the doctor and uses even more sophisticated diagnostic equipment to examine the patient’s eyes. This is mostly needed for the diagnosis of various diseases and for pre-operative examinations for laser surgery.

Being an optometrist involves much more than just checking a patient’s vision. The job requires good communication skills, logical thinking, technical aptitude, empathy, analytical skills and a thorough knowledge of optics and visual physiology.

It could be said that an optometrist is like a whole orchestra in one, combining expertise, precision and human warmth to ensure clear and healthy vision for every patient.