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.
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