How Often Should Your Family Get Eye Exams?

Most people schedule an eye exam when something feels wrong: blurry vision, a persistent headache, or a kid squinting at the board during class. It makes sense. That’s how we’re wired to think about doctors’ appointments: something goes wrong, you get it checked.

But eye care doesn’t quite work that way. Many of the most common—and most treatable—vision and eye health issues don’t announce themselves with obvious symptoms. By the time you notice something is off, the problem may have been developing quietly for months or years.

May is Healthy Vision Month, which makes it a good time to ask a question most of us have never actually looked up: how often does my family—at different ages and stages—really need to be seen by an eye doctor?

The answer is probably more specific than you’d expect.

The Short Answer: It Depends On Age

Eye care recommendations aren’t one-size-fits-all, and they shouldn’t be. What your eyes need at 5, 35, and 65 are genuinely different, and so is what an exam is looking for at each stage. 

Here’s a general breakdown based on guidelines from the American Optometric Association (AOA):

Infants (6–12 months): A first eye exam is recommended during the first year of life, even before vision issues can be self-reported. Early detection of alignment problems or other conditions is easier to address when caught young.

Children (1–5 years): At least one exam between ages 3 and 5, before they start school. Many vision issues that affect learning—like amblyopia (lazy eye) or convergence problems—are completely manageable when identified early.

School-age children (6–17 years): Annual exams are recommended once kids are in school. Vision changes frequently during these years, and undetected issues can quietly affect reading, focus, and academic performance in ways that get misattributed to other things.

Adults (18–64): At minimum, every two years if you’re symptom-free and at low risk. Annually, if you wear glasses or contacts, have a family history of eye disease, or have a condition like diabetes that affects eye health.

Adults 65+: Every year. Age-related conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts become significantly more common after 65, and regular exams are the most reliable way to catch and manage them early.

Note: These are general guidelines. Your eye doctor may recommend a different schedule based on your individual health history and risk factors.

A Comprehensive Eye Exam Does More Than Check Your Vision

This is probably the biggest misconception worth clearing up: an eye exam isn’t just about whether you need glasses or if your prescription has changed.

A comprehensive eye exam evaluates the overall health of your eyes, not just your visual acuity. That includes checking for:

• Early signs of glaucoma, which often present with no pain or noticeable vision loss until significant damage has occurred
• Diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that can cause vision loss if not monitored
• Macular degeneration, particularly relevant for adults over 60
• Cataracts, which develop gradually and are highly treatable
• Signs of high blood pressure or other systemic conditions that can show up in the eyes before they’re diagnosed elsewhere

This is why optometrists sometimes say the eye is a window into overall health—it’s not a metaphor. Changes in the blood vessels and tissue at the back of the eye can reflect what’s happening in the rest of the body.

Skipping your exam when you feel fine isn’t low-risk. It just means less information.

What to Watch For Between Exams

Regular exams are the foundation, but there are things worth paying attention to in between appointments. Reach out to your eye doctor sooner than your scheduled exam if you or someone in your family notices:

• Sudden changes in vision, including blurriness, double vision, or loss of peripheral vision
• Frequent headaches, especially after reading or screen time
• Squinting, eye rubbing, or complaints of tired eyes (especially in kids)
• Floaters or flashes of light that appear suddenly or increase in frequency
• Any eye pain, redness, or unusual discharge

Kids in particular may not have the language to tell you something is wrong; they’ll just avoid reading, sit too close to the TV, or struggle with schoolwork. Behavior can often be the first clue.

Making it Easier for the Whole Family

One of the simplest ways to stay on top of eye care is to treat it like any other annual health maintenance—something you schedule in advance, rather than reactively.

A few things that make it easier:

• Book the whole family at once. Many practices, including Monocle Premier Eye Care, are equipped to see patients at every life stage, so you can schedule everyone in the same visit window and not have to manage four separate reminders.
• Bring your insurance information and a list of any current medications. Certain medications affect eye health, and your doctor will want to know.
• If you’re bringing kids, let them know what to expect ahead of time. Most pediatric-friendly exams are simple and low-pressure; knowing that in advance goes a long way.

Healthy Vision Month is a Good Reminder. So is This.

If you can’t remember the last time your family had their eyes checked, that’s useful information. For most people, it’s been longer than it should be, and that’s not a judgment; it’s just how preventive care tends to get deprioritized when life is busy.

Eye care, when it’s consistent, is genuinely manageable. Most people don’t need to go more than once a year. It’s one appointment, once a year, for something that affects how you see everything else.

Monocle Premier Eye Care is accepting new patients and makes it easy to schedule for your whole family. Book your appointment at ZocDoc and make this the year you stop putting it off.