Flaum Eye Institute / Patient Services and Information / Comprehensive Eye Care

Comprehensive Eye Care

When To See Your Eye Doctor

In general, periodic eye exams are suggested to keep your eyes healthy.

Our comprehensive specialists include the following optometrists and ophthalmologists:

If you have any of these risk factors for eye problems, you may need to see your eye doctor more frequently.

Family history of eye problems
African American
Have diabetes
Personal history of eye injury that required medical or surgical care

We are part of National Clinical Trials and our research includes our own research at the Eye Institute.

Scheduling Regular Visits

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends the following schedules.

Infants

A pediatrician, family physician, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant should examine a newborn’s eyes for general health in the nursery. By 6 months of age, all infants should be screened for ocular health by a health care professional (ophthalmologist, primary care provider, family physician, pediatrician or other health care professionals) or a trained screener.

An infant should receive a comprehensive eye evaluation whenever questions arise about his or her eye health. No infant is too young for an eye examination.

Before Age 5

Since it is possible for your child to have a serious vision problem without being aware of it, your child should have his or her eyes screened at age 3 and 5 by an eye care professional for eye conditions such as:

Strabismus (crossed eyes)
Amblyopia (lazy eye)
Ptosis (dropping of the upper eyelid)
Refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism)

Puberty to Age 39

Most young people have healthy eyes, but still need to take care of their vision by wearing protective eyewear when working in dangerous areas, playing sports, doing woodwork or yard work, working with chemicals or taking part in other activities that could cause eye injury.

Have a complete eye exam at least once between the ages of 20 and 29 and at least twice between the ages of 30 and 39.

You should also be aware of symptoms that could indicate a problem. See an eye doctor promptly if you experience any eye problems such as:

Visual changes or pain
Flashes of light
Seeing spots or ghost-like images
Dark spot appears in vision
Lines and edges appear distorted or wavy
Dry eyes with itching and burning

Ages 40 to 64

Even the young adult and middle age groups can be affected by eye problems, so preventive measures should be taken to protect eyes from injury and detect disease early.

Schedule a comprehensive eye evaluation with your eye doctor every 2 to 4 years.

65 and Older

Seniors 65 and older should have comprehensive eye evaluations by their eye doctor every 1 to 2 years to assess eye health and diagnose any eye conditions, such as cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.