The European Society of Optometry has its headquarters in Brussels. The seat of the European Economic community. It is a democratic organisation representing individual optometrists. The Organization fosters the idea that optometry must be a free, liberal and independant profession.

The European Society of Optometrists has only individual members; it is not a cover organisator to which other associations belong.

Congresses have simultaneous translation of the scientific programs and research, books and scientific material are also published in the various official languages. There are various committees concerned with the advancement of the profession on a political level.

The European Society of Optometrists has close relations with the various Schools of Optometry in Europe and has been instrumental in opening the dialogue which is directed towards a uniform curriculum.
In addition, the organisator conducts an extensive post-graduate continuing education program for its members.

When you look at something, you don't just "see" it; you inspect it, you identify it and you give it a signification. All this process constitutes the Visual system which eyes are only one part of. Functional Optometry carries out careful testing of all Visual skills and suggests the clinical guidance you need to develop the skills which provide for an efficient Visual system.

In the last 100 years our visual system has been more and more urged. Students, for instance, must read almost three times the number of textbooks their grandparents did. The visual system is more and more involved by specific tasks such as office working, looking at computer screen, driving, wachting television. These tasks can all contribute to visual stress which very often produces headaches, blurred vision, fatigue, concentration difficulties. Even if you have 20/20 eyesight you may have some specific Visual difficulties.

Functional Optometry has studied the effect of stress on vision . Through the use of carefully selected lenses and Visual Training, you can enjoy relief from even the worst work conditions.
Functional Optometry will help you and your children in developing the important Visual skills you may need to reach academic and professional goals. Visit your optometrist at least once a year.

The eyes receive light reflected from the world which surrounds us. The light hits the retina, the rear part inside of the eye, producing nerve energy which reaches the brain through optic nerves. The message passes through the "Experience" center from which it comes out classified and identified. The eyes see: sight is one of the five senses. The brain works out what the eyes see: vision is the process. Vision is the process of interpretation the images perceived. This interpretation could also be defined as knolwledge since it connects perception to the experiences stored in our memory. Images and memory allow us to understand, to learn and to evaluate the situation our eyes see at a given moment. Therefore, sight and vision contribute to Man's inteligence.

The eyes receive properly light reflected from objects when they are pointed in the right direction and focused according to the distance. In the opposite diagram the red figures represent the first action, the eye movements towards the object to look at, while the blue figures represent the action of focussing.

Both actions must co-occur at the same moment and with the least effort possible in order to permit extremely rapid and continuous adjustements. These functions are complex and fragile as they depend on two differents sets of muscles which are controlled by two different parts of the central nervous system. From the diagram it can be seen that there is no connection between the two eyes: they must work together by a balance which depends on the brain. The Visual proces is like a two-way street: one carries the images to the brain which checks them and sends them back along the other lane which allows VISION.

Optometry is the profession of VISION care: it prevents the development of Visual performance problems, it limits their effect and, through lenses and Visual training procedures, it can eliminate or eased them.

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