If you wear glasses, we recommend at least every 2 years. If you wear contact lenses, you need to be evaluated annually to renew your prescription.
If you have a family history of eye disease, have medical conditions that can affect the eye (diabetes, hypertension, thyroid eye disease, rheumatoid arthritis), or you take certain medications that can affect the eye (steroids, Topiramate, Plaquenil), then you should be seen annually or more frequently as directed by your eye doctor.
The risk of eye disease increases with age, so more frequent examinations are recommended for everyone after age 40.