Lasik Eye Correction

Optician, how good are they at detecting eye problems?

Just out of interest how "experienced" are they in detecting eye problems. When you go for a routeen eye test can you be assured that they know your eyes seem ok. What defects can they spot when they look into your eyes.

Public Comments

1. They are fully qualified and can see all sorts. My mum went and they sent her to the doctors as she had symptoms indicating high bp and cholesterol.........she had the necessary tests and the bp is now ok but she is taking meds for the very very high cholesterol she had They also saved my son's eyesight when my gp did not believe he had a problem - hospital speciallist was most impressed!
2. Well obviously the degree of skill and experience will vary between opticians (optometrists), But generally, with the equipment available most diseases will be spotted,,, Specially things like glaucoma or small retinal defects... They can advise you whether you should see your GP so that he can refer you to an eye clinic or consultant at the hospital if need be...
3. i went to an optician a couple of years ago ,they are brilliant,i asked her this i told her i was worried about a couple of health issues,she assured me i was fine,thats why when you go to the doctors they sometime have a good luck in your eyes even if its nothing to do with your sight,most stages of illneses show up in the eye area behind the iris,this is what i was told,its like some specialist doctors look at the finger nails,they can tell certain diseases ,i know of someone that a specialist looked at someones nails,they were clubed shape,they hadnt always been like that,it turned out a serious illness, hope this helps
4. A damned sight (get it) better than you. And they can spell, too. They are qualified at looking for eye defects, so who else do you think is likely to spot them better? A baker? A traffic warden?
5. A ROUTINE eye check performed by a competent optician will pick up many eye problems. Because the look at fundi, the back of the eye, more often than GPs they can often pick up changes that a GP might miss with a cursory examination. The list is long, but common things picked up would include glaucoma, cataract, diabetes hypertension, high cholesterol and tumours.
6. first off, an optician is a person that can make and dispense eyeglasses, as well as contact lenses. They do not diagnose any medical problems. Now, an optometrist is a Dr. of the eye, but cannot perform surgery. Generally an optometrist is an excellent choice to trust your eye health with. An ophthalmologist is a Dr. of the eye that can perform surgery, as well as write Rx drugs(anything from optic drops to narcotic med's). generally people only go to ophthalmologists if they have been diagnosed with eye health issues such as glaucoma, Macaulay degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy, all things that can be treated with surgery. Now, of course, some optometrists are better than others at diagnosing eye health issues, but generally, your going to be good-to-go by seeing one!
7. From the answers I see here it is apparent that we have answers coming from some in the US and some in the UK. How do I know this? Well, first one answerer used the word MUM for mother. In the US we would say MOM for mother. Also, there is a HUGE difference in what an optician is in the US and the UK. In the US, an optician ONLY deals with eyeglasses and dispensing of contact lenses. It is against the law for an optician in the US to do any type of examination of the eye without direct oversight from a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist. Therefore, an optician in the US is unable to detect any type of prescription anomoly or disease process. In the UK, though, opticians are a little bit (but not alot) like optometrists in the US. They are able to do certain types of diagnostic procedures but are not licensed to treat eye disease. So to answer your question in the US ----- they are not good at all simply because they are not licensed nor educated to detect eye problems. In the UK ---- they can detect certain types of problems but not as thoroughly as an optometrist or an opthalmologist in the US. And in response to funkykomadina above me. It is simply not true that optometrists (optometric physicians) in the US cannot perform surgery. I am licensed to perform several types of surgery including laser surgery and do so on a regular basis. I file with insurance for these surgical procedures and am reimbursed just like an opthalmologist is reimbursed. There are some surgeries for which I am not licensed, but many I am. Hope this helped.
8. I know many Optometrists and most of them are very competent when it comes to thoroughly examining the eyes and checking for diseases. I also know a handful that I personally, wouldn't go to. But there always going to be cases like that. IMO, they are all competant but some are moreso than others. The same with Ophthalmologists and other medical doctors. I know some that I'd trust implicitly, and some that I wouldn't. The family doctor that I had several years ago, IMO, was a quack. He had all the degrees on the wall in his office, but as soon I switched insurances, I switched doctors because I didn't trust him. The trick is, if your in the market for a new optometrist, to ask around and talk to friends and see who they trust. The best feedback comes from actual patients; not from the doctors or staff. So ask around and do some research.