There are plenty of great suggestions for helping to preserve vision as we get older. You’ve probably heard the common ones, such as don’t smoke, eat a healthy balanced diet and be sure to wear sunglasses when outdoors. This is an excellent list, but I would venture to state that the single, most beneficial thing you can do to help preserve your vision is to get regular eye exams. It seems so simple, yet it’s advantages are countless.
How often you need to have your eyes examined depends on a few factors, such as age and the health of your eyes.
Children
The American Optometric Association recommends risk-free children have eye exams at 6 months of age, 3 years old, at the beginning of school, and every two years following that until they turn 18.
Adults
The recommendation for risk-free adults is to have an eye exam every two years from the ages of 18 to 60, and yearly after that.
Contact Lens Wearers
For patients who wear contact lenses, it’s necessary to have an exam annually.
Have you ever wondered what’s involved in an annual eye exam? See below for a breakdown of each step.
Please note: For high-risk patients or folks with a family or medical history of diseases, the exam may differ and include additional tests or have portions omitted.
Sources: www.allaboutvision.com
