How Often Should You Get an Eye Exam?

Many eye doctors recommend that you have eye exams every one or two years. But if your vision is okay, you may not need eye exams as frequently as people with eye issues. People with eye conditions or at risk of developing them are safer by having regular eye exams.

All things equal, your age group dictates how many times you need an eye exam.

Why Is an Eye Exam Important?

Eye exams are the best way to keep your vision healthy and track your eyes' health. From an eye exam, an eye doctor can tell a lot about your eye and body's health and recommend specific actions. Here are the main reasons an eye exam is important:

Correcting Vision Problems

During a comprehensive eye exam, the eye doctor will first check your visual acuity or how well you see.

Detection of Eye Diseases

Many eye conditions develop slowly and gradually, only causing symptoms once they are much more advanced. Eye exams are the only way to detect fatal conditions before they cause permanent damage.

Other Health Issues

Eye exams are important in detecting systemic health conditions that develop gradually. Many of these conditions present symptoms in the eyes before they affect other organs due to their impact on the tiny eye structures.

How Often Should You Have an Eye Exam?

The frequency of eye exams largely depends on age and the risk of eye conditions stemming from family or medical history.

Infants and Toddlers

Eye doctors recommend that infants have their first exam when they turn six months old. The second exam should happen when they are 12 months old. Another exam should happen depending on the doctor's findings in the two first exams. The tests performed at this time are limited due to the child's inability to comprehend many things, like reading.

3 to 5 Years

At this age, a child has begun to understand images and some aspects of life, such as following simple instructions. If the child has no risk of eye conditions or shows no signs of issues, they should have an exam between three and five.

6 to 17 Years

Between these ages, the child should have an eye exam before school and a yearly exam afterward. School vision screenings at the beginning of the school year do not count as comprehensive eye exams because they are not thorough.

Adults

18 to 39 Years

If you have stable vision and no risk of eye conditions within this time, you should have an eye exam at least once every two years. If you are at risk, your eye doctor will recommend a suitable schedule to keep track of your eye health.

40 to 64 Years

You are at risk of multiple eye conditions within this time and must have an exam when you turn forty. If you are not at risk, the eye doctor may recommend an exam every two years but an annual one if you are at risk.

Over 65

At this age, the eye doctor will usually recommend an annual eye exam, regardless of the health of your vision.

For more on how often you should get an eye exam, visit Brazos Eye Center at our office in Rosenberg, Texas. Call (832) 595-3260 to book an appointment today.