It's important for everyone to have eye exams on a regular basis.  Having your eyes examined by an optometrist or ophthalmologist is the best way to keep your eyes healthy and to make sure you are seeing the world as clearly as possible.

How frequently you should have eye exams is determined by your age, your health, whether you wear contact lenses, your family medical history, and other factors.  Here's what the experts say about how often you should see an eye doctor  for routine exams:

Recommendations by the American Optometric Association

The American Optometric Association (AOA) is the national association that represents optometrists in the United States.  Optometrists (ODs) are eye doctors that are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of vision problems and eye disease.  Optometrists may treat certain eye diseases with medicine, but they are not licensed to perform eye surgery.

If you have no special risk factors for vision problems or eye disease, the AOA recommends that you have regular eye exams according to the following schedule:

People with added risk factors for vision or health problems should have their eyes examined more frequently.  Risk factors for different age groups include:

Risk factors for infants and young children:

• Infants born prematurely or with low birth weight.

• Infants whose mother had rubella, sexually-transmitted disease (STD) or AIDS-related infection during pregnancy.

• Family history of crossed eyes or eye disease.

• Family history of high refractive error (i.e. nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism).

Risk factors for school-aged children:

• Reading and/or learning difficulties.

• Complaints of headaches or tired eyes.

• Squinting.

• Needing glasses for nearsightedness at an early age.

• Family history of high refractive error.

Risk factors for adults:

• Individuals diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension.

• Family history of diabetes or hypertension.

• Family history of glaucoma or cataracts.

• Individuals who have a visually-demanding job or an occupation that may be hazardous to the eyes.

• Individuals taking medications that may have ocular side-effects.

• Individuals who have other health concerns or conditions.

The AOA recommends that you see your eye doctor to determine how frequently you should have your eyes examined if you have (or might have) any of the above risk factors.

The AOA also stresses that individuals over age 60 have an increased risk of developing cataracts, macular degeneration (AMD) and other sight-threatening eye conditions.  Therefore, people in this age group should have eye exams at least once per year.

Recommendations by the American Academy of Ophthalmology

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is the national association that represents ophthalmologists in the United States.  Ophthalmologists are medical eye doctors (MDs) that are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of vision problems and eye disease.  Ophthalmologists undergo more extensive training in the treatment of eye disease and medical conditions than optometrists, and they are licensed to perform eye surgery.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends the following schedule for eye exams (for individuals with no special risk factors for vision problems or eye disease):

The AAO recommends that the screenings for eye disease and vision problems in their guidelines should be performed by an ophthalmologist, a pediatrician or a trained screener.

The AAO also stresses that certain factors can put you or your children at increased risk for eye disease.  These include:

• Developmental delay

• Premature birth

• Personal or family history of eye disease

• African-American heritage (increases risk of glaucoma)

• Previous serious eye injury

• Use of certain medications

• Certain disease that affect the whole body (e.g. diabetes or HIV infection)

If any of these factors affect you or your children, the AAO recommends that you check with an ophthalmologist to see how often you should have an eye exam.

Recommendations by Vision Council of America

Vision Council of America (VICA) is a national non-profit trade association for the optical industry in the United States.  Together with the Better Vision Institute (BVI) - an independent non-profit advisory board to VICA - Vision Council of America provides a forum for the three professional disciplines involved in vision care (optometry, ophthalmology and opticianry) to come together to address and promote America's vision health.

VICA points out the following reasons why annual eye exams are a good idea for all children and adults:

• One in four school-aged children have an undiagnosed vision problem that interferes with learning.

• If not detected early in children, amblyopia can have long-term consequences.

• About 80% of learning in a child's first 12 years comes through the eyes.

• Over 10 million Americans suffer from computer vision syndrome (CVS) - a variety of eye and vision problems associated with computer use.

• More than 90 percent of sports-related eye injuries can be prevented by wearing protective eyewear.

• People age 40 and older are at greater risk for glaucoma, cataracts, and other sight-threatening diseases.

• Vision problems affect over 86 million Americans over the age of 40.

• Older drivers with vision impairment are 200 percent more likely to be involved in an auto accident.

VICA stresses that school vision screenings can miss certain eye problems, and that vision problems can be symptom-free in their early stages, making it hard to know if a problem is developing.  According to VICA, the most effective way to detect vision problems is through a comprehensive eye exam performed by an eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist).

It's Your Decision - Choose Wisely

Choosing when to schedule eye exams for yourself and your children is your responsibility.  Whether you decide to follow the recommendations of the American Optometric Association, the American Academy of Ophthalmology or the Vision Council of America, be sure everyone in your family has regular eye exams to protect their precious gift of sight and ensure they are seeing their world as clearly and comfortably as possible.