If you don't have vision problems or come from a family with vision issues, it may seem like no big deal to go without a licensed eye exam. Even folks with the best vision, though, need to get a routine eye exam at an appropriate time. Let's look at when someone should get one and why that might be.

Infancy and Early Childhood

It's normal for a doctor to check a child for vision problems at birth. A follow-up exam should be conducted at 6 months of age even if there aren't any evident problems. You should schedule a visit to an eye doctor sooner if a child is having trouble tracking objects when you interact with them. Presuming no further issues have been noticed, additional follow-ups should occur at three years of age and once a kid enters grade school.

Teens and Adults

In the absence of any indications of trouble, one or two routine eye exams per decade will be sufficient in the teens and 20s. Once you hit 30, you should consider getting two exams during that decade. By age 40, your vision should settle into a specific zone, and follow-ups only need to be conducted if you see any trouble with your eye health. Start at age 65, though, you should seek a licensed eye exam every one to two years.

People with histories of vision trouble should be on regular annual or biannual exam schedules. The same sort of schedule goes for folks from families where eye problems are very common.

Indications of Problems

An eye exam should be scheduled if you encounter any signs of trouble, such as blurred vision or headaches. If you or a child in your care encounter learning difficulties, you may also want to consider an exam because vision troubles can lead to misdiagnoses of learning disabilities, too. Anyone who has recently suffered an eye injury or illness should seek a routine eye exam once the damage appears to have healed.

Non-Vision Reasons for Eye Exams

While we think of exams as mostly being about checking your eyesight, there are some types of problems that might call for a licensed eye exam. An exam may be able to detect some forms of cancer, the onset of diabetes, blood pressure issues and even some types of arthritis. It may also be possible to spot previously undetected strokes, thyroid disorders, and multiple sclerosis by looking at the eye.

For more information, reach out to a company like Leader Heights Eye Center today.