In some respects, in spite of all the technological advancement in our society we are “moving forward to the past”.
Optometry’s roots were in the 1400s with the introduction of spectacle peddlers who sold basic spectacles which improved the vision for those who had lost the ability to adjust focus. Spectacle peddlers have reappeared as supermarkets, fuel stations and department stores.
It soon became obvious that while some people had a “magical” improvement in their vision, in other cases there was no benefit whatsoever. It was not until the late 1800s that the complexity of the focusing defects of the eye were fully appreciated. This led to more sophisticated lenses increasing the success rate.
However, optometrists became aware that in spite of correcting the focusing errors, in some cases vision could not be restored. This led to optometrists developing skills in diagnosing diseases of the eye and referring patients to eye specialists for further investigation.
While “Reading magnifiers” do not directly damage to the eye, they frequently improve close vision, resulting in patients not having regular eye examinations.
Patients with early to moderate glaucoma are completely unaware of the condition as the brain “masks” the visual loss as in the image above. Consequently, we have numerous patients who have presented with end-stage glaucoma and other ocular conditions which have led to irretrievable severe loss of vision and in some cases blindness.
This is tragic, especially as it could have been prevented by a routine examination and appropriate treatment.
