How Often Do I Need Eye Exams After 40?

There are many things you should do for your health regularly. You’ve got the daily activities like eating healthily and getting enough sleep. You’ve got the annual or biannual visits, like getting a physical exam and seeing the dentist. But where does visiting the eye doctor fit into all of that?

It depends on your age and the risk factors in play for your eyes. To provide guidance, our team at Edwin Y. Endo, OD & Associates has prepared this overview. Here, we’re specifically focusing on how frequently people between the ages of 40 and 64 should see an optometrist.

Fortunately, if you’re due for an eye exam, you can get one from Dr. Endo or one of our other providers at our office in Aiea, Hawaii. 

When to schedule your exam

The frequency with which you should get an eye exam depends on what’s going on with your eyes and the factors that could affect them. 

For most people: Every two years

If you’re a low-risk individual between the ages of 40 and 64, the American Optometric Association recommends that you visit the eye doctor every two years. 

You fall into this category if you haven’t noticed any vision changes, you’re largely healthy, and you don’t have a family history of vision problems. 

When you might want more regular eye exams

Some risk factors mean that you should get your eyes checked more regularly. This allows Dr. Endo and our team to catch eye diseases early, when they’re easiest to treat. That helps you preserve as much of your vision as possible through the years. 

You should get an eye exam every year if you have diabetes, for example. We also recommend annual exams if you have glaucoma or macular degeneration in your family. We can help you determine the right exam frequency based on your personal and family health history. 

Come see us if you notice any changes in your vision, too. It could just be age-related vision loss (presbyopia), but it could be something else. Issues like glaucoma and macular degeneration often present symptoms similar to presbyopia. And the sooner you get care for conditions like these, the easier it typically is to preserve your vision. 

Why eye exams become increasingly important after age 40

After age 40, your risk for eye diseases goes up. We’re here to help you combat that.

At each appointment, we set a new baseline for your eyes. That means we can continually compare your eyes against that baseline. That helps us to detect changes early. In many cases, this allows us to catch eye diseases before people notice symptoms.

With regular eye exams, your eyes get medical intervention when they need it. That helps you see as clearly as possible for as long as possible — ideally for your entire lifetime. 

To schedule your eye exam, call our office at 808-774-3838 today.