Flaum Eye Institute

Infants

A pediatrician, family physician, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant should examine a newborn’s eyes for general health in the nursery. By six months of age, all infants should be screened for ocular health by a health care professional (ophthalmologist, primary care provider, family physician, pediatrician or other health care professionals) or a trained screener.

An infant should receive a comprehensive eye evaluation whenever questions arise about his or her eye health. No infant is too young for an eye examination.

Since it is possible for your child to have a serious vision problem without being aware of it, your child should have his or her eyes screened at age 3 and 5 by an eye care professional for eye conditions such as:

• Strabismus (crossed eyes)
• Amblyopia (lazy eye)
• Ptosis (dropping of the upper eyelid)
• Refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism)

Puberty to Age 39

Most young people have healthy eyes, but still need to take care of their vision by wearing protective eyewear when working in dangerous areas, playing sports, doing woodwork or yard work, working with chemicals or taking part in other activities that could cause eye injury.

Have a complete eye exam at least once between the ages of 20 and 29 and at least twice between the ages of 30 and 39.

You should also be aware of symptoms that could indicate a problem. See an eye doctor promptly if you experience any eye problems such as:

• Visual changes or pain
• Flashes of light
• Seeing spots or ghost like images
• Dark spot appears in vision
• Lines and edges appear distorted or wavy
• Dry eyes with itching and burning

Even the young adult and middle age groups can be affected by eye problems, so preventive measures should be taken to protect eyes from injury and detect disease early.

Schedule a comprehensive eye evaluation with your Eye M.D. every two to four years.