We Take Our Eyesight For Granted Until There Are Problems With Them, So It Is Reassuring To Know That medical And Surgical Understanding Of The Human Eye Is Frequently Being Updated And Enhanced

Most of us take for granted the fact that our eyes are in full working order and we can see accurately enough to fully enjoy life. But the human eye is an a very intricate and delicate bodily organ and we should be particularly grateful to those medical experts who take care of our vision.

The correct term for the medical discipline relating to the eye is ophthalmology – an merging of two Greek words which actually translate as ‘the science of eyes’. As the human eye can need both medical and surgical understanding, ophthalmologists are qualified as specialists in both fields.

Even back in 800 BCE, those who took an interest had sufficient comprehension of the human eye to manage to identify several eye problems and to have invented relevant surgical procedures and equipment to manage to treat some conditions, and throughout the centuries scientists and specialists have carried on increasing their knowledge of vision and discovered treatments for numerous complaints.

Then, in 1805, the first dedicated ophthalmic hospital was opened in London, and it is still there in 2011 under its current title of Moorfields Eye Hospital. The hospital is now a highly regarded centre of excellence for groundbreaking research to continue to improve the diagnosis and treatment of all illnesses and other issues that may affect the human eye.

Before becoming an ophthalmologist, a medical student will have to go through several years of detailed specialist training, working with qualified ophthalmologists to master the necessary skills before finally becoming a consultant. A lot of consultant ophthalmologists become specialists in eye problems which are of particular interest to them and will have specialist surgeries for patients with those particular complaints.

A lot of people really don’t realise just how much more an ophthalmologist is qualified to do when compared to the optician who we make an appointment with for basic eye tests and for the prescribing of glasses or contact lenses. But for all issues that need actual surgery – either a conventional operation or Laser eye surgery, an optician will always refer the patient to an ophthalmologist for treatment.

Once a patient is referred to the expert consultant, all kinds of eye treatments can be undertaken. Improvements in technology in recent times mean that the standard of diagnosis, and therefore treatment, continues to improve and a lot of procedures now are completed at an outpatients appointment under a local anaesthetic as opposed to the patient having to stay in hospital for a couple of days. Some of the biggest improvements have been brought about by the increasing use of Laser eye treatments, as these simply use the Laser eye beam to treat the eye, as an alternative to having to use actual surgical tools, which leads to far less likelihood of problems or infection.

Many of the more unpleasant eye problems can clearly be related to other health problems, and so the ophthalmologist will work in association with the other specialists who are providing treatment. And naturally, a lot of problems with the eyes including cataracts and glaucoma are frequently age related, so there must be a good understanding of other problems which can impact on an elderly patient – not necessarily issues relating directly to the eye complaint, but things like mobility or breathing difficulties.

Fortunately, most people get through life with their only eye problems being the need to use glasses or contact lenses eventually. But for individuals who have more complicated eye complaints, it is comforting to know that treatment will continue to evolve and become better every year, whether it be more exact Laser eye surgery, more delicate tools for cataract removal or speedier diagnosis and treatment of more unusual problems.
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