Why are the eyes and visual system medical concerns?

The role of the ophthalmologist today

Abstract

In this issue of the journal, many papers are presented that show evidence where both the prescription of glasses and the possibility of making diagnoses of various general diseases depend on the ophthalmologist taking his role, being up to date and being able to make the correct association between medical data (symptoms and signs). Based on that, decisions will be made such as prescribing a correction for myopia, indicating a pharmacological treatment or ocular surgery, or requesting an interconsultation with physicians from another specialty. All of these are medical acts, relevant to a patient’s health. It is neither more nor less about discerning whether an eye is healthy or has a disease (an eye, the eyes, the visual system), i.e. it is about discerning how healthy a person is.