Significance

• As we age, the risk of developing an eye disease increases. Getting a complete vision test by an ophthalmologist on a regular basis can catch problems before they become unmanageable.
  
  

Frequency

• Beginning at age 65, a person should get a vision test every year or two.
  
  

Features

• In addition to external eye tests, a thorough vision exam for the elderly should include the following: visual acuity test, refraction assessment, visual field test and glaucoma test.
  
  

Considerations

• An elderly individual should be driven to and from the doctor's office for the vision test. A complete exam should include both the lens and the retina, which involves dilation of the eye. The dilating drops given may cause blurry vision for up to a few hours afterward.
  
  

Misconceptions

• An ophthalmologist and an optometrist are not the same. Unlike an optometrist, an ophthalmologist is an eye specialist who also is trained as a medical doctor and is therefore better equipped to treat age-related eye diseases.