January marks National Eye Care Month. It’s a time to celebrate the many advancements in optometrists’ practice and vision technologies. It’s also a great moment to highlight the evolution of eye care over time. A worldwide study documented an estimated 253 million people as having some kind of visual impairment. Of those 253 million, 85% had moderate to severe visual impairments or MSVI, and 36 million were legally blind. It’s no wonder skilled scientists and doctors everywhere have dedicated their lives to better understanding the human eye.
From its earliest documentation in 434 BCE to the invention of glasses, and now the considerable developments in optometrists offices worldwide, eye care has gone through many modifications as science grows and expands. Here we’ll talk about some of the histories of the practice, and a few, notable advancements in eye care technology.
A brief history of eye care
Optometry comes from the Greek words opsis (to view) and metron (measure or rule), literally translating to the measurement of vision. However, the practice has since evolved to mean the practice or profession of examining the eyes for visual defects and prescribing corrective lenses.
The first known wearable eyeglasses, made from glass-blown lenses with wooden or leather frames, were documented around the 13th century in Italy and worn mainly by monks. As time went on, glasses became more available to the wealthy, but it took centuries to reach the most accessible lenses we know today.
As for eye exams, we’ve come a long way since the Dutch invention of the eye exam chart. Still, it wasn’t until the 19th century, with significant developments like Hermann Snellen’s chart, that a clear understanding of the anatomy of the eye became well-known, and the knowledge helped considerably improve all further research. Even Snellen’s chart faced some setbacks, but over time optometry was able to use his foundation to develop what we now know as the 20/20 standard. Thanks to all we’ve learned throughout hundreds of years, we’re able to imagine once seemingly impossible technology like robotic eye surgery, and eye drops doubling as eyeglasses.
Evolving Optomistrist offices
Much has changed in optometrist offices beyond the quite familiar lettered eye chart. New technologies in recent years offer more streamlined appointments, more accurate assessments, and best of all, more comfortable and satisfied clientele.
For example, diagnostic and medical imaging plays a significant role in modern optometrists’ offices, allowing for clearer and more precise images of the eye than any other time in history.
Also, it’s essential to mention one of the major technological advancements in contemporary eyecare offices, the Human Genome Project, published in 2003. The project helped every realm of the medical sciences, but most specifically here, reframed how we understand diagnostic and therapeutic eye care.
Advancing vision procedures and surgery
Today there are dozens of fascinating eyecare advancements of which earlier scientists and optometrists only dreamed.
Thanks to these technological improvements, many of which occurred within the past 20 years, both optometrists and people with visual impairments can have an easier time navigating eyecare issues.
Examples of these advancements include stents as small as eyelashes that are a less evasive option for those with glaucoma, DIY vision monitoring allowing individuals to check their eye health through an app, and blue light blockers within glasses now able to protect against eye strain. You can even virtually try on glasses. Eye technology continues to evolve. And during National Eye Care Month, let’s salute all the advancements in eye care and accessibility already available, helping to enhance the lives of millions of people every day.
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