Key TakeawaysNew guidance from the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends annual eye exams for people aged 18 to 64 regardless of their eye health.Despite the recommendations, experts say that not everyone needs a yearly eye exam.You may need more frequent eye exams if you have a family history of eye disease, wear eyeglasses or contacts, or have had eye surgery.
Key Takeaways
New guidance from the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends annual eye exams for people aged 18 to 64 regardless of their eye health.Despite the recommendations, experts say that not everyone needs a yearly eye exam.You may need more frequent eye exams if you have a family history of eye disease, wear eyeglasses or contacts, or have had eye surgery.
The American Optometric Association (AOA) now recommends that adults between the ages of 18 to 64 get an in-person eye and vision exam every year regardless of their eye health.Previously, the AOArecommendedeye exams at least every two years for adults.
But do you really need to have your eyes checked every year if you have no trouble with your vision? Here’s what experts say.
What Happens During an Eye Exam
Why You Need Eye Exams
Ronald Benner, OD, president of the AOA and an optometrist, told Verywell that the recommendation was changed to make sure people have a chance to be evaluated for eye changes, improve their sight, and prevent vision problems through early detection of eye disease.
Ronald Benner, OD
Benner added that eye exams can also reveal more information about your health beyond your sight. For example, anoptometrist can closely look inside your eye, including theretina, blood vessels, andoptic nerves—structures that are direct extensions of your brain.
Rosalyn Perez, OD, FAAO, an optometrist at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, told Verywell that regular eye exams can catch more subtle signs of eye disease, as well as other systemic health conditions if a person has no symptoms.
Will My Health Insurance Cover an Eye Exam?
Most people who are employed havevision insurancethat covers annual eye exams and eyewear like glasses. However, your coverage will depend on your health insurance policy. It’s best to check with your insurance provider to make sure your plan covers yearly eye exams.
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Why You May Not Need a Yearly Eye Exam
While most experts agree that eye exams are important, people who don’t have any symptoms or a family history of eye disease may not need one yearly—despite the updated recommendations.
Howard Krauss, MDThere is no hard and fast rule in terms of how frequently people should have eye exams, however, symptoms and risk factors should never be ignored.
Howard Krauss, MD
There is no hard and fast rule in terms of how frequently people should have eye exams, however, symptoms and risk factors should never be ignored.
Howard Krauss, MD, a surgical neuro-ophthalmologist and the director of Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, told Verywell that if a person does not have symptoms, a family history of eye disease, or signs of eye problems, annual examinations are probably more frequent than necessary.
While theAOA’s updated guideline reportwas evidence-based, Krauss said that the recommendation of annual exams for people 18 to 64 was determined as a “consensus statement.”
Krauss explained that anything that is marked as a consensus statement in the AOA’s report is to be viewed as an opinion rather than a matter of fact.
Daniel Laroche, MD, a glaucoma specialist and a clinical assistant professor ofophthalmologyat the Icahn School of Medicine, does not agree that all adults need an eye exam every year—particularly because annual eye exams could strain the healthcare system and may have added costs—though more research is needed to fully understand those effects.
“In my opinion, in people ages 18 to 39, there is a low risk of eye disease,” Laroche told Verywell. “We have to spend more time educating, insuring, and reaching out to those who are over 40 in whom ocular disease is much more prevalent.”
How to Tell If You Need Yearly Eye Exams
Krauss said that certain risk factors make your chances of developing eye and vision problems more likely, and you may need to have more frequent eye exams than other people.
You may need yearly (or more frequent) eye checks if you:
Krauss and Laroche said that even though the AOA guidelines recommend adults get an eye exam every year, how often you really need to have one will depend on your symptoms, risk factors, and overall health.
“There is no hard and fast rule in terms of how frequently people should have eye exams, however, symptoms and risk factors should never be ignored,” said Krauss. “This is not to suggest that people don’t need to be attentive to their health. It’s a matter of exercising caution in your daily life.”
If you miss out on an annual eye exam, Perez recommends scheduling an appointment as soon as you remember—especially if you fall into an at-risk category.
If Not Everyone Needs a Yearly Eye Exam, Why Did the Recommendation Change?
By 2050, the AOA estimates that the number of people with these conditions will double to about 2.01 million people with legal blindness, 6.95 million with visual impairment, and 16.4 million with reduced vision because of uncorrected refractive errors.
Benner said that since more people in the U.S. are projected to have visual impairments and other eye conditions, getting your eyes checked every year can help providers detect, treat, and possibly prevent eye diseases early.
“This recommendation allows the doctor of optometry to evaluate risk factors present and assess eye changes to identify sight-threatening eye and systemic health conditions which can be treated with early detection and intervention,” said Benner, adding that taking a proactive approach can help lead to earlier diagnosis of vision problems,prevent vision loss, and improve health-related quality of life.
What This Means For YouThe AOA recommends that adults ages 18 to 64 get an eye exam every year. However, if you don’t fall into an at-risk group, you may not need to have a yearly eye exam. If you aren’t sure how often you should have your eyes checked, talk to your provider and check your insurance to see what will be covered.
What This Means For You
The AOA recommends that adults ages 18 to 64 get an eye exam every year. However, if you don’t fall into an at-risk group, you may not need to have a yearly eye exam. If you aren’t sure how often you should have your eyes checked, talk to your provider and check your insurance to see what will be covered.
What Different Vision Problems Look Like
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Optometric Association.Comprehensive adult eye and vision examination.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vision loss and age.Honavar SG.The burden of uncorrected refractive error.Indian J Ophthalmol. 2019;67(5):577-578. doi:10.4103/ijo.IJO_762_19American Optometric Association.AOA’s updated clinical guideline reinforces importance of annual eye exams, comprehensive eye care with doctors of optometry.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Optometric Association.Comprehensive adult eye and vision examination.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vision loss and age.Honavar SG.The burden of uncorrected refractive error.Indian J Ophthalmol. 2019;67(5):577-578. doi:10.4103/ijo.IJO_762_19American Optometric Association.AOA’s updated clinical guideline reinforces importance of annual eye exams, comprehensive eye care with doctors of optometry.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Optometric Association.Comprehensive adult eye and vision examination.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vision loss and age.Honavar SG.The burden of uncorrected refractive error.Indian J Ophthalmol. 2019;67(5):577-578. doi:10.4103/ijo.IJO_762_19American Optometric Association.AOA’s updated clinical guideline reinforces importance of annual eye exams, comprehensive eye care with doctors of optometry.
American Optometric Association.Comprehensive adult eye and vision examination.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vision loss and age.
Honavar SG.The burden of uncorrected refractive error.Indian J Ophthalmol. 2019;67(5):577-578. doi:10.4103/ijo.IJO_762_19
American Optometric Association.AOA’s updated clinical guideline reinforces importance of annual eye exams, comprehensive eye care with doctors of optometry.
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