When should I have my eyes examined?

Having your eyes and vision checked regularly can help an eye care specialist identify problems right away.

• Adults younger than 40: Every  5-10 yrs.
• Adults between 40-54: Every 2-4 yrs.
• Adults older than 55: Every 1-3 yrs.

You might need your eyes checked more often than this if you wear glasses or contacts or need another type of visual aid. People with diabetes also need their eyes checked more often than what’s listed here.

Glasses and contact lenses are both used to correct vision, but they work differently and have different prescriptions.

• Glasses
  • Refract light as it enters the eye, focusing it on the retina. Glasses sit on the bridge of the nose and don’t touch the eyes.
• Contact lenses
  • Sit directly on the eye’s surface and alter the way light enters the eye.

Prescriptions

Glasses and contact lenses have different prescriptions because they sit in different places on the eye. An eye doctor can measure your prescription for both during an eye exam.

Wearing both

Many people wear both glasses and contacts, switching between them depending on the activity.

Sound-amplifying devices designed to help people who have hearing loss.

Most hearing aids share several similar electronic components:

• Microphone
• Amplifier
• Speaker

If you or an adult family member have questions or concerns about hearing loss, you have options.

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are a new category of hearing aids that people can buy directly, without visiting a hearing health professional for an examination.

The hearing aid that will work best for you depends on the kind and severity of your hearing loss.