How often should eyes be checked long term?
A comprehensive exam every one to two years is a common adult baseline, with shorter intervals as age and risk factors rise.
Many sight-threatening conditions — glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration — advance silently for years. Scheduled exams exist to catch them in the window when treatment still changes the outcome.
Intervals that scale with age and risk
Healthy adults are commonly advised to have a full dilated exam every one to two years, moving to yearly around their sixties. Diabetes, high myopia, glaucoma family history, or long-term steroid use shortens the interval, and contact lens wearers need their fit and cornea reviewed on schedule as well.
The right cadence differs by individual history, so treat published intervals as a floor rather than a rule. Sudden floaters, flashes, field loss, or eye pain override any calendar — those call for a specialist visit within days, not at the next scheduled consultation.
MediIndex articles are for general information only and are not medical advice, diagnosis, or advertising. Outcomes vary by individual — consult a board-certified specialist for personal decisions.