You need regular eye exams

Prepping a patient for Dr Portfolio

Regular eye exams are an invaluable tool in maintaining your eyes’ health by detecting and preventing disease. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends most people to get an eye exam every 2-3 years. Of course, if something is wrong, you should contact your eye doctor right away.

As we progress from our 20s to our 40s, our eyes change. Most of us progress from slightly nearsighted, to slightly farsighted as we age. Contact lenses need adjustment, or perhaps reading glasses are needed. After age 40 an eye exam is recommended every two years, to be sure you are properly monitoring your eyesight.

Once into our 60s, it becomes important to check for early signs of eye conditions, and you should see your ophthalmologist once a year. Some diseases, such as glaucoma, often develop gradually without causing pain or vision loss — so you may not notice anything wrong until significant and irreversible damage has been done.

Early detection of any problems can allow for a choice of treatment options and a reduced risk of further harm.