January 11, 2022

Many people only ever visit medical professionals when they are in pain or experiencing other symptoms that are affecting their quality of life. The good news is that it is possible to prevent actually reaching this point. Visiting your eye doctor and getting regular comprehensive eye exams is a valuable part of your preventative care. This is because attending regular appointments and allowing your eye health and vision to be monitored can actually prevent you from suffering from severe problems in the future and preserve your eye health long term.

How Often Should I Have a Comprehensive Eye Exam?

Exactly how often you should have a comprehensive eye exam will depend on your individual circumstances.

Children

Children are recommended to have comprehensive eye exams annually. The main reason for this is that they are still growing and their vision still forming during childhood, and this is the time when myopia is most likely to develop. Myopia can occur when the eyes grow too long compared to the focusing power of the lens of the eye, and this makes objects that are further away appear blurred. Even if a child is diagnosed with a refractive eye condition like myopia during this time, they will still need to be monitored annually in case their vision continues to change.

Adults

In most cases, adults between the ages of 18 and 60 will be recommended to have a comprehensive eye exam at least once every two years, unless they are considered to be at greater risk of developing vision problems.

People who are considered to be at greater risk include those:

• With a family history of eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, or cataracts
   

• Diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes
   

• Who work or spend a great deal of time in an environment that could be hazardous to eyes
   

• Who do a job or activity that is very visually demanding or otherwise hazardous
   

• Who take prescription or non-prescription medications that have side effects which could affect the eyes
   

• Who have previously experienced trauma to the eyes
   

• Have undergone eye surgery, including laser vision correction and cataract surgery
   

After the age of 60, you will probably be advised to increase the frequency of your comprehensive eye exams to annually. This is because eye problems are more likely to develop after this time, including presbyopia, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Your eye doctor will be able to monitor the health of your eyes, as well as your vision, much more closely, offering advice and treatment where required to preserve your eye health for as long as possible.

By investing a little time and money into regular comprehensive eye exams now, you could prevent eye problems now and enjoy healthy eyes and clear vision long into the future. Contact us today to schedule your comprehensive eye exam, or to ask us about any aspect of eye health and care. You can call Modern iCare Optometry in Palm Desert, California at 760-674-7272 today.