Eye Examination | Eye Exam Kitchener Waterloo
Regardless of your age or physical health, it’s important to have regular eye exams.
During a complete eye exam, your eye doctor will not only determine your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses, but will also check your eyes for common eye diseases, assess how your eyes work together as a team and evaluate your eyes as an indicator of your overall health.
Who should get their eyes examined?
Eye examinations are an important part of health maintenance for everyone. Adults should have their eyes tested to keep their prescriptions current and to check for early signs of eye disease. For children, eye exams can play an important role in normal development.
Vision is closely linked to the learning process. Children who have trouble seeing or interpreting what they see will often have trouble with their schoolwork. Many times, children will not complain of vision problems simply because they don’t know what “normal” vision looks like. If your child performs poorly at school or exhibits a reading or learning problem, be sure to schedule an eye examination to rule out an underlying visual cause.
How often you need an eye exam depends on your age, personal health and eye care needs. The Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) recommends the following
CAO Policy Position
Frequency guidelines can assist the patient in determining the need for examination. The minimum frequency of examination for those at low risk is as follows
Infants and toddlers (Birth to 24 months)
Infants and toddlers should undergo their first eye examination between the age of 6 and 9 months
Preschool children ( 2 to 5 years)
Preschool children should undergo at least one eye examination between the age of 2 to 5 years
School age children (6 to 19 years)
School children aged 6 to 19 years should undergo an eye examination annually
Adults (20 to 39 years)
Adults aged 20 to 39 should undergo an eye examination every 2 to 3 years.
Adult (40 to 64)
Adults aged 40 to 64 years should undergo an eye examination every 2 years.
Adult (65 years or older)
Adults aged 65 years or older should undergo an eye examination annually