What is a Primary Health Care Provider?
A primary health care provider is the health care professional you are likely to see first regarding your general well-being. Your family doctor, who is probably a general practitioner, is one. Optometrists are the eye care professionals most likely to see you first in matters relating to the eye. They are educated and trained to diagnose a wide range of conditions relating to your vision and your general health. In fact, the optometrists’ education is comparable to that of other primary health care providers. Treating Ocular Defects Optometrists are best known for treating refractive disorders. Refraction is the process by which the eye bends light to form an image on the retina. Impaired refraction creates distorted vision. The most common refractive disorders are myopia (nearsightedness), in which the eye focuses light in front of the retina, and hyperopia (farsightedness), in which the eye focuses light behind the retina. These disorders generally require the prescription of correc
