August is National Eye Exam Month, making it the perfect time to think about your eye health and the importance of taking care of your eyes. We found that the most common question our patients have regarding eye health is when is it time to get their eyes checked? So we asked AdvantageCare Physicians’ ophthalmologist, Dr. Amita Vadada, who recommended the following for adults and children:
Adults: A baseline eye exam should be performed at age 40 since this is the age when early signs of disease or vision changes can begin to occur. If you are living with eye health risk factors, such as diabetes, hypertension, or have a family history of eye problems, Dr. Vadada recommends that you have an eye exam earlier than age 40. If your baseline eye exam is normal, follow up with a checkup every one to two years to check for conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.
Children: Eye screening exams should be performed when your child is a newborn, infant, preschooler and when they are starting school. These can be done by a pediatrician, family doctor, ophthalmologist, or optometrist. An ophthalmologist should perform a more comprehensive exam if your baby is born premature or is at high risk for medical problems for other reasons, has signs of abnormalities, or there is a family history of serious vision disorders in childhood. Additionally, your child should also have a comprehensive eye exam if there is any sign of misaligned eyes (strabismus), meaning their eyes don’t look in exactly the same direction, they have an eye with poor vision (amblyopia), or they have any refractive errors, such as myopia (far objects don’t appear clear), hyperopia (near objects are blurry), and/or astigmatism (an imperfection in the eye’s curvature).
Keep you and your family’s eyes healthy by talking to your doctor about your eye health and scheduling an appointment today at: acpny.com/appointment
