According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, more than 24.4 million people living in the United States suffer from cataracts by the time they reach the age of 40 and older. This does not mean you can wait until you arrive at the age of 40 before you obtain your first eye exam. In fact, eye exams should begin as young as six months of age, as stated by the American Optometric Association. Here is why.

Keep Your Eyes Healthy

The following are recommendations set forth by the American Optometric Association on how often and at what age you should receive an eye exam:

For infants—birth to 24 months—patients should receive an eye exam around six months of age. For toddlers and preschoolers—two to five years of age—an eye exam should take place at about the age of three. Then, when a patient reaches school age—six to 18 years of age—the patient should obtain an eye exam before or during first grade and, then, every two years after that. Ages 18 and older are to obtain an eye exam yearly.

Why should eye exams begin so young? Simple. Vision is important to our health. Especially during our fundamental years, our vision is tied to our learning process. If we have trouble seeing when we are young, then we have difficulty seeing what is going on in the classroom, as well as completing homework. However, because as a child we do not necessarily know what good vision is, we don’t realize we are having difficulty. Therefore, an eye exam is crucial in making sure our eyes remain healthy as we age.

Of course, these are only recommendations. Your doctor may increase the number of eye exams if any conditions appear.

Whether it has been a while since your last eye exam or you have never obtained one, make an appointment with one of our doctors today to make sure your eyes are in tip-top shape.