Ophthalmic Surgeon Questions Optometrist

How often should I have an eye exam?

I want to get my eyes checked. How often should I have an eye exam?

4 Answers

OphthalmicSurgeonOptometrist
The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends annual comprehensive eye exams for adults to maintain optimal eye health. After age 65, yearly exams become even more critical due to the increased risk of age-related vision problems. For children, the AOA suggests scheduling the first exam at six months of age, with follow-up exams at age 3, between ages 5 and 6, and then every 1-2 years thereafter.
Depends upon your age, and other medical conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, or previous eye surgery that you may have had
The general rule is annually if you have a prescription and especially if you wear contact lenses or are moderately or severely nearsighted. Patients with higher prescriptions need a dilated examination to ensure the health of the retina. Patients who wear contact lenses need to ensure that there are no signs of infection or inflammation from contact lens use at any age. Patients who have a family history of disease such as glaucoma, or macular degeneration should also be seen annually after age 40. If none of these factors apply, then every 2 years is adequate.
Your frequency of eye exams will depend upon your medical conditions, medications that you are using, age, if you are a contact lens wearer, your current eyeglass prescription, your current eye health, pre-existing conditions, and your doctors' preferences. There are some statistics that suggest annual eye exams every 5 years for those age 20-39, every 2-4 years for those age 40-54, every 1-3 years for those age 55-64, and every 1-2 years ages 65 and over. Since these are general numbers and everyone is so different, I would recommend that you discuss this with your eye doctor because he/she will know all factors about your eyes and your health in order to suggest how often you should be seen. Good luck and best wishes.