How Often Should You Get an Eye Exam?
Importance of Regular Eye Exams
Regular eye exams are important to maintaining vision health and keeping an eye out for disease. Having your eyes checked by an optometrist should be part of your wellness routine, especially if you have family history of eye disease or vision problems. How often you see an eye doctor can depend on factors like age, family history, and lifestyle. We’ll dig deeper into some of these factors below to help you make the right choice for your eye health.
Understanding Eye Health and the Benefits of a Regular Eye Exam
Common vision problems include near and farsightedness, astigmatism, chronically dry eyes, or headaches when doing basic activities like reading, driving, or spending time on a computer. If you experience any of the symptoms or notice blurred or double-vision, it’s important to schedule a comprehensive eye exam to see what could be going on, and to prevent further worsening of the symptoms.
If you already wear glasses or contact lenses, it’s also important to have regular eye exams to make sure your prescription is up-to-date. Having a yearly eye exam can help not only maintain good eye health, but can also help detect other diseases and health conditions in early stages, such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even signs of strokes. For more information on what kinds of diseases eye exams detect and how, check out our blog.
Recommendations for Different Age Groups
On the whole, the average adult needs an eye exam every one to two years, even if they have “perfect” vision. However, specific recommendations change depending on your age group. As you get older, you have increased risk of eye diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and general deterioration of the vision.
- Infants and children: need their eyes checked regularly, especially when they are too young to verbalize any specific issues with their vision. Newborns will have their eyes checked for certain diseases, and unless recommended by their doctor, do not need another eye exam until roughly three years of age.
- School-age children: it is recommended that they have an eye exam every two years.
- Adults ages 20 to 40: should go no longer than 5 years without an updated eye exam.
- Ages 40 to 54: the recommendation becomes every 2 to 4 years.
- Age 55 and above: a complete eye exam once a year is recommended.
Special Considerations: Lifestyle, Occupation, and Genetics
When considering how often you should see an optometrist, you may need to take into account risk factors that are specific to you, whether it’s your age group, ethnic background, lifestyle, or your job. For instance:
- People of African and Latinx descent are at higher risk of developing glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
- People of European or Caucasian descent are more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
- Those of Asian descent have a higher risk of developing angle-closure glaucoma.
Your family history may also have an impact on your overall eye health and increase your risk for eye disease.
Insurance and Eye Care
Before scheduling an eye exam, you might be wondering what is covered under your insurance plan. The easiest way to check this is to go to the website on the back of your insurance card and look at what benefits are covered. Most vision insurance plans cover yearly eye exams, and provide an allowance for glasses or contact lenses.
If you don’t have vision insurance, don’t worry! You can still budget and find ways to afford annual eye exams. The best place to start is by calling local providers and asking for the average cost of an eye exam without insurance; typically, an eye exam costs somewhere in the ballpark of $50 to $200. Always keep an eye out as well for specials being offered by local optometrists, as they can help you save on the cost of glasses or contacts after the exam!
Conclusion
At the end of the day, how often you should get your eyes checked can be determined by a number of factors, including age, occupation, and family history. If you are still uncertain about how often you should see an optometrist, a good rule of thumb to follow is to have one eye exam a year. If you are experiencing vision loss or other signs of poor eye health, it’s important to call your eye doctor as soon as possible to get scheduled for an appointment.
So whether it’s for a new concern or for your yearly exam, contact us today to get started!
Dr. Eric Torgerson
Owner at Poudre Valley Eyecare
Dr. Eric Torgerson is the owner of Poudre Valley Eyecare, and has been recognized for his contributions to optometry and his commitment to community health through various roles and accolades within the Northern Colorado Optometric Society and the Colorado Optometric Association.
Why Choose Us?
Our advanced technology and individualized care deliver results for patients of all ages. Our routine exams allow us to spot changes in your vision and allow us to treat those changes early. We have a comprehensive understanding of eye care, which means we can treat a wide range of conditions and chronic diseases. Our in-depth routine exams and customized treatment plans set us apart from the rest.
