How often should you get an eye exam?

My patients and friends frequently ask, “how often should I get my eyes checked?” As a guideline I suggest that you see your Optometrist or Opthamologist once per year, but no less than once every two years.

Think of your eyes as an important part of your overall health care routine – just like your annual checkup with your general physician. Even if your eyes feel fine, it’s important to get them checked because a lot of vision problems d
on’t present obvious problems and may not even affect your vision in the short-term.

There are many variables that affect how often you should see your eye doc – for example, if you are diabetic or have other risk factors you may need more frequent exams in order to catch problems early. Otherwise, most folks will be fine seeing the eye doc once a year. Plus if you’re covered by a vision plan you’ll be eligible for an annual exam. So take advantage of it!

Here’s a handy little guide from the American Optometric Association. I expect each of you to clip it out and stick it on your refrigerator door .

FREQUENCY OF EXAMINATION

Patient Age	Examination Interval
	Asymptomatic/Risk Free	At Risk
Birth to 2 yrs	By 6 months of age	By 6 months of age
2 to 5 yrs	At 3 yrs of age	At 3 yrs of age
6 to 18 yrs	Before 1st grade then every 2 yrs	Annually
18 to 40 yrs	Every two to three yrs	Every one to two yrs
41 to 60 yrs	Every two yrs	Every one to two yrs
61+	Annually	Annually or as needed

Source: American Optometric Association