How Often Should You Get Your Eye Prescription Checked?
Being proactive is one of the best ways to take care of vision issues early on. We recommend having regular eye examsas a preventive eye care technique that can help our eye doctors catch any eye health issues that may be coming your way.
One essential component of every eye exam is looking into your current eyewear (if you have it). How often should you get your eye prescription checked? Let’s discuss.
How often should you get your eye prescription checked?
For everyone ages 6 and up, we suggest having an annual eye appointment. During this appointment, an Independent Doctor of Optometry will analyze your eyes for signs of refractive errors and other issues, including eye diseases, such as glaucoma.
A comprehensive eye exam once per year is a good rule of thumb, and our eye doctors will examine your prescription to ensure it’s accurate.
Here are some other reasons to get your eyes checked sooner:
- You have been squinting more often.
- You have had blurry vision.
- You must shut one eye to read or watch TV.
How to Get an Eye Prescription
Needing glasses or contact lenses is nothing to fear. Getting an eye prescription is simple. First, you’ll need to call an optical store in your area and book an eye exam. For contact lens wearers (or those who are interested in contacts), you may have a contact lens exam instead.
Our team will issue an eye prescription, if you need one, after performing the following eye tests:
- A Vision Test: You’ll identify letters or numbers on an eye chart 20 feet from your face. The optometrist may change the lenses to investigate your visual acuity. This test is crucial for finding refractive errors, which can indicate a need for new vision correction.
- A Pupil Test: The eye doctor will observe what happens to your pupils when they shine a light in them. This can tell them a lot, including whether your brain and pupils are working together as they should.
- An Eye Movement Test: Your optometrist may move an item around in front of you and observe what your eyes do. This will help them inspect your peripheral vision.
- An Eye Pressure Test: You’ll rest your chin on a machine, as the eye doctor releases air into each eye. This might be uncomfortable, but it won’t be painful, and it can help your optometrist recognize signs of glaucoma.
- A Slit Lamp Exam: Using a binocular microscope, the optometrist can examine your eye structures and anatomy. This won’t hurt, and it can help them identify cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, dry eye disease, and more.
- A Dilated Pupillary Exam: Your eye doctor will widen your pupil with eye drops to check your eye fundus or retina for eye disease symptoms.
Contact lens exams may also require corneal topography (outlines your cornea and measures your corneal curve) and a tear film evaluation (shows if dry eyes are likely to affect you). Both of these tests are critical before your eye doctor can approve you for contacts.
Summary: When to Have an Eye Exam
How often should you get your eye prescription checked? Once per year is recommended. Here’s how to get an eye prescription (or find out if you need a new one):
- Schedule an eye exam or contact lens exam at your nearest optical store.
- Go through the eye tests, which can vary depending on the type of eye exam you get.
At the end of your eye appointment, the optometrist will inform you if you’ve had any changes in vision and whether new glasses or contacts are in your future.
Book your eye exam at For Eyes
Have you had your annual comprehensive eye exam? Schedule an appointment with an Independent Doctor of Optometry at your local For Eyes.
