How Often You Need an Eye Exam, and What Each Test Is For

General intervals

• Children: vision screening in infancy and early childhood, then as advised.
• Adults under 40 with no symptoms or risk factors: a baseline exam and periodic follow-up.
• Adults 40 and over: more regular exams, since presbyopia and early glaucoma changes appear in this window.
• Age 65 and over, or anyone with diabetes, high blood pressure, high myopia, or a family history of glaucoma or macular degeneration: at least yearly, or as your clinician directs.

What each part of the exam does

• Refraction determines your prescription.
• Intraocular pressure measurement is one of several glaucoma risk inputs, not a diagnosis on its own.
• Dilation lets the clinician see the peripheral retina, where tears and detachments often begin.
• Retinal imaging or OCT gives a cross-section of the macula and optic nerve that can be compared year to year.

Symptoms that mean go now, not later

Sudden vision loss, a curtain or shadow across your field, a sudden shower of floaters, flashes of light, or significant eye pain are urgent. Do not wait for a routine appointment and do not try to manage these with supplements.