How Often Should You Really Get an Eye Exam?
Eye Exams · March 10, 2026 · By Dr. Rachel Morgan
The short answer
Most healthy adults need a comprehensive eye exam every two years until age 60, then every year. But “most healthy adults” hides a lot — contact lens wearers, diabetics, highly nearsighted patients, and anyone over 40 with a family history of glaucoma should come yearly regardless of age.
Children follow a different clock
Kids need a first check before age one, another at three, and a full exam before starting school. After that, yearly exams catch myopia the moment it appears — when myopia control works best. A child who passed a school screening can still have tracking or teaming problems that only a full exam reveals.
What changes the schedule
- Contact lenses: yearly fittings keep the cornea healthy and the prescription exact.
- Diabetes: yearly dilated exams, since diabetic retinopathy starts silently.
- Eye disease: glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataract patients follow a custom monitoring plan.
- New symptoms: flashes, sudden floaters, curtain-like shadows, or eye pain mean same-day care — not next year.
The bottom line
When in doubt, ask us. A quick call about your age, prescription, and history is enough for our team to place you on the right recall schedule — and we will remind you when you are due.