Preventive eye care is important for everyone. Certain eye conditions and diseases can strike at any time in life, often with little to no warning signs, and may destroy your healthy vision. Maintaining a routine eye exam is the best way to determine the health of your eye. Annual exams assist doctors in detecting and treating any problems at the earliest stages. Following are the suggested guidelines on when you and your family should have your eyes checked.
Infants and toddlers should be screened for common eye problems, such as strabismus (crossed eyes) and amblyopia (lazy eye) during their regular pediatric appointments. Vision testing is recommended for all children starting at around 3 years of age.
Most children and teenagers have healthy eyes, but they still need to take care of their vision by wearing protective eyewear when playing sports, doing yard work, working with chemicals or taking part in other activities that could cause an eye injury. Even young adults and middle-aged individuals can be affected by eye problems. They, too, should use preventive measures to protect their eyes from injury and should have a complete eye exam at least once between the ages of 20 and 29, at least twice between the ages of 30 and 39 and every two to four years between the ages of 40 and 65.
Seniors over age 65 should have a complete eye exam by their Eye M.D. every one to two years for cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other eye conditions. The suggested examination guidelines are:
- Ages 0 to 2: screening during regular pediatric appointments
- Ages 3 to 5: screening every 1 to 2 years during regular primary care appointments
- Ages 6 to 19: schedule examinations as needed
- Ages 20 to 29: one examination
- Ages 30 to 39: two examinations
- Ages 40 to 65: examination every 2 to 4 years
- Ages 65 and over: examination every 1 to 2 years
If any of the following risk factors affect you, check with your Eye M.D. to see how often you should have a complete eye exam :
- History of eye injury
- Diabetes
- Family history of eye problems
- African American over age 40
Protecting your eyes from accidents and early detection and treatment of eye problems are the best ways to keep your healthy vision throughout life. If you or your family are at risk for eye disease or experience any eye problems, visit your Eye M.D. promptly.
All Vision Awareness Topics:
Glaucoma
Save Your Vision
Low Vision/Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Sports Eye Safety
Healthy Vision
Fireworks Eye Safety
Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) Safety
Cataract Awareness
Children's Eye Health & Safety
Eye Injury Prevention
Diabetic Eye Disease
Safe Toys & Celebrations
