Your eyes are the most precious thing you have. To ensure that you maintain healthy eyes, optometrists recommend having your eyes checked regularly. The frequency of an eye exam will vary depending on your age and health.
Whenever you get your routine eye exam your eye doctor not only checks your vision, but they also run a variety of test that checks your overall eye health.
Many people think that they don’t need to worry about their eyes or get an eye exam until they are older
Although the frequency may vary depending on each individual’s health status, the following information will give you an idea of how often you should have your eyes examined by an optometrist.
How often should children get an eye exam?
Visual abilities play a big role in early development. Optimum Eye Care recommends that infants should have their first eye exam between six and nine months of age. Children should then have at least one eye exam just before starting daycare. Between the ages of 6 and 18, during elementary and secondary school years, the child should see the optometrist once a year for a complete eye examination.
Eye Exam for Adults
Adults aged 19 to 64 should have an eye exam at least every two years, or as per the recommendation of your optometrist. Contact lens wearers should have the surface of their eyes checked each year because of the direct contact of the lenses with the eyes. People with diabetes should have an exam at least once a year. Other health conditions assessed by your Doctor of Optometry may also warrant more frequent eye examinations.
People over the age of 65 should have their eyes examined every year. As we age, vision needs change and the risk of developing eye disease increases. A periodic eye exams can help prevent, treat or cure eye illnesses early on.
Eye Health Summary
In addition to these basic guidelines, people with a family history of eye problems, those monitoring a diagnosed eye disease, or those with certain high risk diseases such as diabetes, it is recommended that eye exams should be performed at least once a year. This testing can detect diseases and disorders of the eye such as glaucoma, cataracts or macular degeneration, as well as other health problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Regular eye exams are the best way to keep you seeing your world clearly.
