Frequency of Eye Exams

How often should you have your eyes checked? The following information is provided for your visual benefit. Find out if you are taking care of your eyes as often as you should.

First Eye Exam: By age 3
At least by age 3 all children should have a complete, thorough eye exam by an eye doctor. Many eye disorders can be caught and treated if the child has an evaluation by an eye care professional. By age 3, most children will have started pre-school, and it is very important to find out if your child has a color vision deficiency, a lazy eye, or if they are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism. These are just a few of the conditions that can easily be caught and treated by an eye doctor before your child has problems learning.

Your child does not have to know his/her ABC's or numbers in order for us to do an evaluation. We can give eye exams to children who are completely uncommunicative, who may have mental or physical handicaps, are who are just plain shy or afraid of doctors. Our doctors can make your child feel comfortable and they will be able to determine if your child's eyes are developing normally or if any treatment is necessary. It is the belief of every doctor here that we will not give glasses, have a child wear an eye patch, or recommend any other treatment unless it is completely necessary. You will be pleasantly amazed as to what we can do to evaluate a young child's visual system! Bring your child in and "see" how fun an eye exam can be!

School-age children (K-12): Annually
Children in this age range are growing so rapidly. They change so quickly and so does their visual system. At the minimum, children in this age group should have their eyes checked once a year. If a child does have a lazy eye, the potential for treating it is greatest if we treat before age 7. Most pediatricians and school screenings will miss a lazy eye. 80% of children in learning disabled classes have vision problems. However, do not assume that if your child is doing well in school that they have a perfectly normal visual system.

Children do not know what they are "supposed" to see. Most of the time, they think how they see is normal, whether it is or not. On the flip side, some children have friends or family members who wear glasses and they think that it's cool, so they will try to get glasses when they really don't need them. Don't worry. We can tell what a child's prescription is without them saying anything at all. We can detect if a child truly needs glasses, or if they just want them for attention.

This is also a popular age group for getting contact lenses. Whether the desire for contacts is for sports or for cosmetic purposes, we work with the parent(s) to determine if the child is responsible enough for getting contact lenses. Some of our younger patients have started wearing contacts when they were as young as 8! It all depends on the child.

Also, all children should definitely have a thorough eye exam before they get behind the wheel of a car. You can pass the driver's license requirement, but still have difficulty seeing. These kids do not need any other hindrance as they learn to drive!

Late teens to mid-twenties: Annually
People in this age range are usually in college, or are just starting their careers. All of the extra demands place a lot of strain on the visual system. Computer eye strain is documented and is real. It is a good idea to have a thorough eye exam in order to rule out any potential problems, before headaches and fatigue become an issue.

Mid-twenties to age 40: Bi-Annual (Non-contact lens wearers) Annual (Contact lens wearers
The visual system tends to stabilize in this age range. Usually, if there is a change in the prescription, it is a small change.

Contact lens wearers need to have an annual eye exam because of potential problems involved with wearing something in their eyes. It is always better to have us catch a problem and make some changes before the patient notices anything is wrong. Also, there are always improvements in the types of contact lenses and in the solutions used to clean them. It is great to keep up with the latest to see if there is anything we can do to improve your vision, maintain the health of your eyes, or to make contact lens use more comfortable and convenient.

Age 40 to age 50: Bi-annual (Non-contact lens wearers) Annual (Contact lens wearers)
The visual system fluctuates a lot during these years. We start to lose the ability to focus on things up close. We fight it as long as we can, but eventually everyone will need bifocals or reading glasses during these years. Usually, the need for increased magnification in the reading glasses or bifocals will continue to get stronger, until it stabilizes in your late 40's to early 50's. With the baby-boomers going through this, we have so many options available to us now, even bifocal contact lenses!

Age 50 and up: Annually
The potential for sight-threatening eye diseases goes way up for people in this age group. We test for Glaucoma, Cataracts, Macular Degeneration and many other sight-threatening anomalies.

Everyone who lives long enough will develop Cataracts, it is just a matter of when. Most people develop Cataracts in their 60's or 70's. Remember, a Cataract is when the lens inside your eye becomes cloudy. In the early development of Cataracts, we can help you see better by changing your prescription, or by recommending certain things to help improve your vision. We do not recommend surgery unless we cannot change your glasses or contacts to help you see better.