How Often Should You Go To The Eye Doctor

Benefits Of Yearly Eye Exams

While you hear that yearly eye exams aren’t necessary if you don’t have any vision problems or concerns, most people will benefit from a yearly eye exam.

Here are some of the reasons to see an eye doctor to check your eye health once a year:

• Your eye doctor can assess for early signs of eye disease.
• You can catch vision issues quickly, so you can get contact lenses or glasses if needed.
• You can get early detection of vision problems and other eye issues.

Annual eye exams are recommended for children, teens, and adults. Even children who don’t have issues with them. eyes can benefit from regularly visiting an eye doctor, especially because they will feel more at ease and receptive to necessary eye health treatments.

When You Should Get More Frequent Eye Exams?

While annual eye exams are sufficient for most people, some individuals have high-risk factors or concerns that warrant more frequent eye exams. Consider seeing an eye doctor more regularly if you have any of the following:

• Any type of diabetes
• A family history of eye diseases
• Have high blood pressure
• Have vision problems because of medications
• Are Latinx or African-American

The best way to know for sure whether you need more than an annual eye exam is to contact Milwaukee Eye Surgeons. We can assess your eye health during your first comprehensive eye exam and make recommendations for repeated care.

Screening for Age-Related Macular Degeneration & Glaucoma

Yearly eye exams are vital many people with higher risk factors, especially for those older than 40. The older a person gets, the more at risk they are for eye issues like macular degeneration and glaucoma. These are the leading causes of blindness in the United States. So for this in middle and old age, the AAAO strongly advises once yearly exams.

What Is Assessed During An Eye Exam?

When you visit an eye doctor for an eye exam, they will use various diagnostic tools to check your eye health. A general eye exam provides many functions.

During these eye exams, the ophthalmologist will:

• Assess your vision: Your doctor will check for any vision concerns, such as nearsightedness or farsightedness. If you already have contact lenses or wear glasses, the eye doctor will check if your vision has changed and update your prescription if needed.
• Check for eye disease concerns: While most people associate an eye exam with vision tests, there is more to it than that. Your eye doctor will also look for potential eye diseases, including macular degeneration and cataracts. So, even if you have excellent vision, eye exams are key to catching eye diseases.
• Diagnosing other health conditions:  Another function of regular eye exams is to detect other health concerns. For example, your doctor may see signs and symptoms of other health problems outside of the scope of eye diseases. They can possibly detect issues related to diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

It’s vital to receive eye exams to ensure you don’t have an eye disease, vision issues, or other underlying problems. Your provider will also speak to you about your family history and any eye issues you’ve had in the past, as this will help them better determine how often you should get eye care.

What Eye Exams Look Like

If you’ve never had an eye exam before, you may have questions about what occurs during these appointments. Don’t fear! The process is rather straightforward and not painful, although it may be slightly uncomfortable at times.

During the eye exam, your optometrist will perform various tests to assess your vision and determine the condition of your eyes.

While the ear has various tests that can be administered, depending on what issues the eye doctor notices, all eye exams will include shining a light in the eyes to dilate the pupils. Other tests include things like reading letters from a distance and checking your response times to dots of light.

Here are some of the commonly used tests during an eye exam and what they’re used for:

• Visual acuity: The visual acuity test is the one that involves reading letters on a chart. You will cover one of your eyes while you read out the letters. Your eye doctor may also change lenses while you read the chart to help determine if you need corrective lenses.
• Color vision test: If you or your provider suspect you have color blindness, a color vision test may be used. During this test, you’ll look at images of colorful dots. You’ll have to determine the number within the dots.
• Corneal topography: For this test, you will look at an object while a computer scans your cornea. This test is used to see if the cornea curves, which is a sign of astigmatism.
• Slit-lamp exam: For this diagnostic tool, the doctor uses eye drops to dilate the pupils. Then, they use a slit lamp to examine the eye. This allows them to better view part of your eye using high magnification.

These are just some of the ways your eye doctor can assess your eye health during an exam.

Request An Annual Eye Exam Today!

Has it been a while since you received an eye exam? While it can be challenging to make time in your schedule, it’s vital to take care of your eye health. With yearly eye exams, you can keep acting quickly, treat eye diseases and also get the help you need for vision problems, whether you need contact lenses or to wear glasses.

Call Milwaukee Eye Surgeons today to request an appointment for an eye exam!