Why Checking Your Eyes Regularly Is Essential

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Older Adults Need More Frequent Eye Exams
On the other end of the age spectrum, many older Americans often forgo routine eye exams and falsely believe that free vision screenings offer adequate monitoring and protection of their eyesight.

This is extremely dangerous, since the most common causes of blindness — glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration — increase with age. Vision loss often can be prevented or reduced if these conditions are diagnosed and treated early. But the only way this can be done is to have routine comprehensive eye exams.

Don't take chances with your eyesight as you get older. It may be sufficient to have a comprehensive eye exam every two years in your early adult life. But if you're over age 60, have an annual eye exam to preserve your vision and make sure you are seeing the world as clearly as possible. [Read more about when to have an eye exam .]

Though Medicare does not cover routine eye exams, if you have a Medicare supplement policy or other medical or vision insurance , your benefits may include an annual comprehensive eye exam. Check with your insurance provider for details.

Passing A Vision Screening Doesn't Mean Your Child's Vision Is Perfect

Even if your child passes a school vision screening, it doesn't guarantee he or she has perfect vision or has all the required visual skills needed for optimum performance in the classroom.

In fact, a number of studies have identified significant challenges and shortcomings of children's vision screenings, including:

• Children with significant learning-related vision problems being able to pass simple school vision screenings
• Poor consistency of screening results among different volunteers conducting the testing
• Parents being unaware their child failed a vision screening
• Lack of follow-up to make sure children who fail screening actually have an eye exam

Also, poor standardization of vision screening standards among different states and lack of reporting requirements make it impossible to adequately evaluate the effectiveness of school vision screenings.