You can help prevent, detect, and treat eye and ear problems in your work as a medical assistant. Because conditions that affect the eyes and ears can have an impact on vision, hearing, and balance, these conditions affect a patient's quality of life. Vision and hearing provide people with information about the world around them; balance allows people to move securely and effectively through their environment.

A basic understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the eyes and ears will help you provide good eye and ear care to patients. You must also become familiar with many health, medication, safety, and hygiene concerns to teach patients to care for their own eyes and ears properly. Take time to comprehend and master the various tests of vision and hearing so you can provide accurate information to the physician about each patient's performance on each test.

Be sensitive to the needs of individual patients as you care for their eyes and ears. Learn all you can about how to meet the special needs of children, elderly patients, and patients with conditions that make preventing, detecting, and treating eye and ear problems a challenge. Practice the administration of eye and ear medications until it becomes second nature to provide the prescribed treatment calmly, accurately, and with the least discomfort to the patient.

The more knowledgeable and proficient you become, the better the eye and ear care you will provide. Knowing just what you are doing and why will make your assistance to the patient and the physician a valuable asset to the office.