Preventive eye care should remain a crucial part of your health routine, even if you’re not experiencing any issues with your vision or need a new eyeglass prescription. For this reason, it’s always an excellent idea to schedule a comprehensive eye exam with a premier local optometrist like Alderwood Optical & Canyon Park Vision Clinic. But how often should you get your eyes checked, exactly?
This Will Depend on Age
Eye specialists, for instance, will recommend that parents bring their children in for their first eye checkup at around six months of age. The next appointment should be around their third birthday, plus another exam before they start first grade. By having these childhood eye exams done, their eye doctor will be able to catch, diagnose, and treat any vision problems before they hinder the child’s ability to learn.
In most cases, the frequency of eye checkups with your optometrist should be every other year–until around age 60. The fact is that people become likelier to develop vision problems once they enter their golden years. In this case, seniors should have their eyes checked once a year. But this will still depend on the succeeding result of the exam. If the older patient is starting to experience issues with their eyesight, it may not be just an annual thing.
Eye Disease Risk is Also a Factor
Extra care should be observed if you have at-risk vision, which means going for eye examinations fairly regularly each year. At-risk vision refers to those who have a family history of refractive errors, or eye conditions such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. Vision problems are also likelier in patients that have diabetes or hypertension. Do you take prescription medications that have dry eyes as a side effect? Are you a frequent smoker? These situations also increase the chance of developing vision problems.
Sticking to your scheduled eye exam every year is usually enough to detect and manage any risk factors you have, but issues can still pop up in between your appointments. Should you notice changes with your vision, such as blurriness, newfound sensitivity to light, bright flashes, or even frequent headaches, make sure to check in with your trusted optometrist, Alderwood Optical & Canyon Park Vision Clinic, as soon as possible. We are your go-to choice for a safe and worry-free eye examination, diagnosis, and treatment. We serve the areas in and around Lynnwood, Bothell, and Shoreline, WA. Call us today at (425) 771-8472 or fill out this contact form to schedule your appointment.