Ideally, one eye exam every year should be enough to keep you on top of your eye health. However, some people may need to schedule more than one eye exam a year. These include those over the age of 60 or who have a family history of eye problems.

 

Why Get an Eye Exam?

An eye exam will help you detect eye problems in their earliest stages. It provides information on your overall eye health. The doctor can recommend a course of treatment to help you avoid vision loss. Regular eye exams also provide you with a chance to get tips on how to adapt to vision changes.

 

Frequency of Eye Exams

There are general guidelines that determine how frequently you need eye exams. They will consider different factors. These factors include your age, family history, health, and whether you already wear prescription lenses.

Age

Eighty percent of all learning and development is visual. Between six months and three years old, your child should have their first eye exam. It will help catch any eye problems early and let you start dealing with them. If everything is okay, the next eye exam should be six years. From then, they should go for regular checkups every two years until they are around 60.

After 60 years, people should increase the frequency of their eye exams because of the likelihood of age-related eye diseases. It is even better if they start going for these eye checkups earlier. These age-related eye diseases include macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma.

Family History

If you have a family history of eye diseases, it puts you at a high risk of developing one. If multiple family members have an eye disease, it increases your chances of getting the same. The best way to improve your chances against any hereditary eye disease is to catch it early.

 

This means you will need to go for regular eye exams. The frequency of your eye exams will need to be more than what other people require. Be careful not to give in to the temptation to undergo genetic testing for eye disease until you discuss it with your doctor first.

 

Health

Diabetes with the accompanying high blood sugar can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, or retinopathy. A checkup every year will allow your doctor to check for any abnormalities. They will examine your eye lens, optic nerve, blood vessels, and retina. If there is anything, they can develop a treatment plan that will help you avoid vision loss.

If you have diabetes or any other health issue that can affect your eyesight, see a doctor. They will advise you on how often you will need an eye exam. The likelihood is that it will not be less than every year. Whatever the case, stick to the schedules.

Wearing Prescription Lenses

Wearing prescription lenses will not make your eyesight worse—unless you are wearing the wrong prescription. Most people who wear prescription lenses go for a vision test every year. However, a vision test is not a supplement for a comprehensive eye exam.

 

So if you wear prescription lenses, purposefully schedule an eye exam every year or two. It will help you keep on top of any eye diseases that may affect you.


 

For more information on how often you need an eye exam, contact 20/20 EyeVenue at our office in Westminster, Colorado. You can call (720) 740-0400 to book an appointment today.