Ophthalmology and eye diseases

An ophthalmologist (eye doctor) is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of eye disease. It is difficult to overestimate the severity of vision problems – a large part of the surrounding world ceases to exist for a person. Treating and preventing private and total loss of vision is what an ophthalmologist does.

Subsections of ophthalmology

Pediatric ophthalmology is a subsection of ophthalmology that investigates the characteristics of children’s vision. A child’s vision, unlike that of an adult, is constantly changing. Pediatric ophthalmology is designed to study the peculiarities of these changes and related pathologies.

What organs do ophthalmologists treat

The eyeball;
eyelids;
lacrimal organs;
conjunctiva;
orbit.

What diseases are treated by an ophthalmologist

nearsightedness is a visual defect in which the image is focused in front of the retina and the person cannot see distant objects clearly;
farsightedness is a visual defect in which the image is focused behind the retina and a person cannot see objects clearly at close range;
conjunctivitis – inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye (conjunctiva);
cataract – clouding of the lens of the eye;
glaucoma – increased eye pressure that causes visual impairment;
astigmatism – a disturbance in the shape of the lens or cornea.

What else does an ophthalmologist treat?

A large part of what an ophthalmologist treats are vision abnormalities that are triggered by other diseases or critical situations for the body. Visual impairment can be caused by:

hypertension;
abnormal pregnancy;
severe childbirth;
atherosclerosis;
renal pathologies;
diabetes mellitus;
traumatic eye injuries.

How is the examination by an ophthalmologist?

At the initial reception, the ophthalmologist:

Gathers anamnesis (medical history), asks the patient about possible complaints.
Conducts examination and palpation of the eyes, examination of the eyes with a biomicroscope (slit lamp).
Depending on complaints and examination results, the doctor may prescribe additional tests: ophthalmoscopy (visual examination of the eye fundus), tonometry (measuring intraocular pressure), and biomicroscopy (examination of the eye under multiple magnification).