Vision Screening and Eye Exams for Adults

Overview

If you know that you are not at risk for eye disease and you don't have signs of vision problems, get a complete eye exam to check for eye disease and vision problems: ^{footnote 1}

• At least every 10 years if you are age 19 to 40.
• At least every 5 years if you are age 41 to 55.
• At least every 3 years if you are age 56 to 65.
• At least every 2 years if you are over age 65.

Your eye doctor may also suggest that you get exams more often just to check for refractive errors, such as nearsightedness or farsightedness.

If you are at risk for or have signs of eye disease, such as glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration, you may need complete eye exams more often.

For people who have diabetes, experts recommend a yearly eye exam. If you have no signs of diabetic retinopathy, your doctor may recommend less frequent eye exams.^{footnote 2}