How Often Should I Get My Eyes Tested?
Vision is a major part of everyone’s life, so maintaining it should be incredibly important. Having poor or uncomfortable vision and not being proactive usually means the condition worsens. Not only that, but it’s also likely to affect your life in other ways. Blurred vision can cause severe headaches and can sometimes affect a person’s ability to concentrate. It’s critical you know how frequently you need to visit your opticians, for your own health.
How frequently should you take an eye test?
In order to keep on top of any changes in your vision, you should ideally be visiting every 2 years. Coming in within this time frame will allow for any possible issues to be treated and it will also inform your optometrist of what appropriate steps need to be taken. Any longer than 2 years could allow conditions to progress to a point where permanent damage may be caused. If any of your family members suffer from hereditary eye conditions, please inform your optician and you will likely be recommended to visit more frequently.
How often should an adult get their eyes tested?
In general, taking a visit to see your optometrist every 2 years is sufficient. This is unless a serious issue has been discovered and you have been recommended to visit more frequently. If this is the case, we will likely suggest an annual visit. In rare cases, you might be instructed to visit every six months. The rule of thumb is unless told otherwise, you should stick to the two-year figure.
How often should children get their eyes tested?
Children, under the age of 16, should ideally get their vision tested once every year. Despite young people’s vision usually being exceptional, having frequent eye tests allows optometrists to spot early signs of visual issues. This could assist the optometrist in treating the issue before it becomes more pronounced later on in life.
We also sometimes recommend that children visit us for a back to school eye test. This ensures that the child has a clear and comfortable vision, allowing them to reach their full academic potential.
How often should an elderly adults get their eyes tested?
For the elderly, a similar rule applies. It’s recommended that your vision is still tested every two years. However, as you get older you are at a higher risk of experiencing at least some degree of macular degeneration, or a range of other issues related to the eyes. So we are happy to see you sooner to remain on top of these issues and get the necessary help, early in the development of any possible issue. Many customers will have an eye test every two years but may come back annually for an Optomap or OCT.
What is the purpose of an eye test?
You may be under the impression that an eye test is only good for amending your prescription for glasses. However, an eye test can help diagnose a number of eye problems. These include, but are not limited to, glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and certain types of cancer. It will likely come as a surprise to learn that all of these issues can be uncovered during a regular eye test. This is why it’s critical that you are proactive and keep to your regular appointments.
You need to remember that your optometrist is a professional. They have an expert level of understanding and always have your health as their main priority.
Get in Touch
If you would like to find out more, or you wish to book an eye test, get in touch. Give us a call today at 0800 980 34 64 or email us at info@focusmedicaleyecentre.co.uk.