What is Optometry?
Optometry is the profession that provides primary eye care to the community. Optometrists help people who have problems with their eyes or have difficulty seeing.
Most problems with vision are due to refractive errors, that is the optics of the eye are out of focus, like a camera that has not been properly focussed. About 25% of the population has myopia, or short sightedness; some people have hypermetropia or long sightedness and others have astigmatism where the optics of the eye are shaped a bit like a squashed tennis ball.
Optometrists are expert in the optics of lenses that can be used to correct refractive errors. Optometrists measure refractive errors and prescribe glasses that accurately correct the out of focus error and restore normal vision. Not only will they advise you on the best way of solving with your eye problem they will also take personal responsibility to see that any prescription for glasses is accurately dispensed to the highest standards and will make sure that the lenses and spectacle frames used are the best choice for your personal needs.
Optometrists are a registered health professionals. In order to practice optometry a university degree in optometry must be held and optometrists must be registered by the Optometrists Registration Board under the Optometrists Act.