Ages 3-19 | HealthyEyesWa.org

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Eye Care Timeline Ages 3-19


Before 3		Ages 3-19		Ages 20-39		Ages 40-64		Ages 65 and Over

Your child’s physician will continue to screen your child’s eyes during regular check-ups every one to two years and your child may already be seeing an ophthalmologist for continuing vision correction or treatment of a disease or condition. Be sure to alert your doctor if you notice sudden redness or swelling, unequal pupils or a drooping eyelid.

Childhood is a particularly hazardous time for injuries to the eye.

For children and teenagers participating in sports, make sure your children use appropriate protective eyewear. Baseball is the number one cause of sports-related injuries in the 5- to 14-year-old age group. More information about protective eyewear for sports.


Keep all chemicals and sprays, such as cleaning fluids, securely out of reach of young children.	Be sure you supervise your young children handle potentially dangerous items, including pencils, scissors, forks and knives.	Be aware that the most common household items (paper clips, coat hangers, fish hooks, rubber bands, etc.) can cause serious eye injury.

Avoid or impose extra rules and supervision on projectile toys, such as darts, bows and arrows, rocket launchers, etc.	Never allow your children to play with non-powder rifles, pellet guns or BB guns. They are extremely dangerous and have been reclassified as firearms and removed from toy departments.

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Eye Facts and Myths

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All ‘eye doctors’ are NOT the same. (…ophthalmologists are the only eye care providers medically trained to diagnose and treat all eye diseases. Optometrists and opticians provide some aspects of eye care and are not medical doctors.)

Reading in dim light is NOT harmful to your eyes (...though good lighting does make reading easier and can prevent eye fatigue.)

Using computers does NOT damage your eyes (...though you may blink less which makes your eyes dry. This could cause the feeling of eyestrain or fatigue.)

Wearing the wrong kind of eyeglasses does NOT damage your eyes. (...but children younger than 8 who need glasses should wear their own to prevent developing “lazy eye.”)

Children do NOT simply outgrow crossed or misaligned eyes (...Children with this condition should be examined by an ophthalmologist.)

Learning disabilities are NOT caused by eye problems. (...though children who are having difficulties with school work should be checked to make sure they can see well.)

Sitting close to the television does NOT damage children’s eyes. (...however, some children with nearsightedness may sit close to the TV to see more clearly.)

Eating carrots does NOT improve your vision. (...a well-balanced diet, with or without carrots, provides all the vitamin A necessary for good vision.)

People with weak eyes or who wear glasses do NOT need to avoid reading fine print. (...you can use your eyes without fear of wearing them out.)

Wearing eyeglasses will NOT cause you to become dependent on them. (...you will just get used to seeing clearly.)

A cataract does NOT need to be ‘ripe’ before it is removed. (...it can be removed whenever it begins to interfere with a person’s lifestyle.)

Contact lenses do NOT prevent nearsightedness from getting worse. (...like glasses, they just allow you to see clearly.)

Eyes can NOT be transplanted. (...corneas, the clear front part of the eye, can be transplanted, but not the whole eye)

Healthy Eyes for Every Stage of Life
What should you know about eye care and prevention for you and your children?