Eye care is a lifelong process. It begins as you take birth and continues through life, and the professionals who provide you with vision care are called optometrists. If you are looking for a Melbourne optometrist, you will likely find several choices in the city. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and the second most populous city in Australia. It is located at the top of Port Philip Bay on the southeastern coast. The city is home to about 137,000 people and is the core of an extensive metropolitan area. As per the national health survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, nearly 12 million Australians reported having one or more long-term eye conditions. The country has 4,034 optometrists (17.1 FTE per 100,00) to serve such a vast population.
Doctors of optometry or optometrists are professionals in the line of work that concerns the eyes, including the vision of the eyes and visual systems. They are the ones who prescribe your glasses and treat various vision problems. An optometrist can diagnose eye problems like nearsightedness, astigmatism, and farsightedness. They test the eyes’ depth, colour, and perception and evaluate their ability to focus and synchronize the eyes.
According to experts, it is time to visit an optometrist when:
- Patients require specialty contact lens fittings like high astigmatism lenses, bifocals, lenses worn after surgery, etc.
- A patient requires their contact lenses or eyeglasses examined
- A patient requires essential eye exams regardless of their age.
Benefits of visiting a Melbourne optometrist
Maintain optimal eye health
When transitioning from adult to senior years, it is very common for a person’s eyesight to begin to stray, resulting in more blurry vision and an inability to see during the day and at night. During this stage of life, especially if a person has already been diagnosed with a vision problem, it is advisable to visit an optometrist at least once a year to maintain optimal eye health. As aging continues, optometrists may suggest incorporating some nutritional supplements and vitamins to maintain your ocular health.
Prevention
An individual needs to see a licensed optometrist regularly to prevent potential eye problems from turning into severe infections and maintain optimal vision for day-to-day living. Moreover, it would help if you started taking your children to an eyecare expert as early as six months of age to ensure their eyes’ development and functions are on the right path. Additionally, school-going children must go for regular examinations of the eyes as these children are growing rapidly. Often children with undiagnosed eye problems can be mistakenly referred to as slow learners or considered to have developmental issues.
Regular check-ups
The minimum regular check-ups required may vary depending on a patient’s age, family health history, and general health condition. Patients who have healthy vision but only need some adjustments to their prescription may need only to visit their optometrist once a year. In contrast, older patients or patients with eye problems may be advised to see an optometrist more frequently. Apparent signs of eye care health, such as blurry vision, infection, or pain in the eye area, are good reasons to schedule an appointment immediately.
A Melbourne optometrist is not so much into eye care as they are into vision care. Therefore, they use state-of-the-art detection systems and eye exams to diagnose the slightest problems. They are also equipped to deal with these problems in the best possible manner. However, choose a reputed specialist in your area when selecting an optometrist.