The amount of time you should go between visits to the eye doctor will depend on many things. Your age, risks, current vision, and other factors will determine how often you should be seeing the eye doctor. This is why you want to follow the advice of your eye doctor on when you should come in. However, there are many times when you would want to see the eye doctor right away. Here is more on this:

You may have an eye infection

If you have any reason to suspect you have an eye infection, then you should go in and see the eye doctor right away. You may need antibiotics to treat the infection. Some signs of an eye infection include bloodshot eyes, swollen eyelids, and itchy eyelids. 

You have headaches

It's normal to get the occasional headache. Headaches can also have many causes. However, when you start having headaches on a regular basis, then you should go in to see the eye doctor. You may be getting headaches due to changes in your vision, and you'll want to see the eye doctor soon. 

You got something in your eye

If anything like a chemical, dirt, sawdust, sand, or anything else gets in your eye, then you need to go in to see your eye doctor for an emergency visit. This will need to be done immediately. If it was chemicals or something small that went into your eyes, you should flush them immediately with cool and clear water. This should be done for a few minutes. Never attempt to physically remove something you can't flush out of your eye. Once you have flushed your eyes, you want to get in to see the eye doctor right away to make sure any injuries to your eye get treated. 

You can't see as well as you used to

Go in for an eye exam soon if you notice things are starting to get blurry, or you can't see things close up or far away as well as you used to. Also, any other changes in your vision should warrant a visit to the eye doctor. Another thing to look out for is squinting. If you notice you are squinting, it can be a sign you have vision problems. 

Conclusion

It's a good idea to keep in mind that any issue you find concerning should be checked out by an eye doctor. You don't want to put issues off until your next scheduled appointment.