How Often Should You Get Your Eyes Examined?

Have you had to go to an eye doctor before? Maybe you have never been? Well, there are some very important reasons to get your eyes examined on a regular basis. Eye health is important. How often should you have your eyes looked at by a doctor though? Great question! Let’s see the answer to that below.

How Old Are You?

That may sound like a rude question, but it actually plays a part in how often your eyes should be examined by an eye doctor. Depending on your age, you should get examined more or less often. Of course, the older one gets, the more often they should visit an eye doctor. This is due to the natural degeneration of the eyes over time.

• From ages 18-60, you should have a regular eye exam by an eye doctor at least once every two years.
• From age 60 and up you should have your eyes examined by an eye doctor at least once a year.

Why Do Older Patients Need Exams More Often?

You may be wondering why it is imperative for older patients to have their eyes examined twice as often as someone under 60 does. Lagrange Eye Care, a local Poughkeepsie optometry practice, explains that this is due to the natural breakdown of the tissue in the eyes. The older you get, the more common it is for your eyesight to change. It is best to catch it early to prevent headaches and fatigue.

Also, family risks factors can play a role in why older patients are to visit an eye doctor for an exam more often.

Two Years Is Not Always Appropriate for Younger Patients

Just because someone is younger does not always mean that they should only ever visit the eye doctor for an examination once every two years. Sometimes patients should see an eye doctor once a year regardless of their age. 

Reasons people under 60 should have a yearly eye exam by an eye professional:

• Injury to the eye or eyes: If there has ever been an injury to your eye, an eye doctor may want to see you more than once every two years. This is so they can detect any possible issues as early as possible.
• High blood pressure: If you have had or do have high blood pressure, then you may be at risk for issues with your vision. It is important to visit an eye doctor once a year or as long as this condition lasts.
• Taking certain medication: Depending on which type of medication you are taking, you may need to have your eyes examined once a year to make sure the medicine is not changing your vision.
• Diabetes: Diabetes can severely affect a person’s vision. No matter what type of diabetes you have, it is important to get a yearly eye exam.
• Previous diagnosis of an eye disease: If there is ever a diagnosis of an eye disease, it is important to visit an eye doctor once a year to keep track of the progression and to monitor treatment. It will better help the doctor understand how to treat you too.
• Your Employment: If your job causes a lot of physical eye strain, then you may need to get your vision checked once a year.
• A family history of eye disease: A lot of diseases can be genetic. It is important to monitor for those diseases if you do have a family history of them. The sooner it is caught the better and more effective the treatment can be.

What About Children?

With adults only getting a visit once every two years unless they fall under one of the reasons stated above, you may be wondering how often a child should get their eyes screened by an eye doctor. Children that have healthy eyes and no risk factors should have their eyes examined once every two years.

Do note that for children who had a low birth weight, their mother had an infection during pregnancy that could affect the eyes, or have a family history should have their eyes checked once a year. It is important to talk to your child’s primary doctor about when to take them to an eye doctor.

You can find more information at VSP.com.

Hopefully all of the above information was helpful to you. It is important to stay on top of your eye health and get your eyes checked regularly. You can find more information about eye exams in this informational YouTube video.