August is National Eye Exam Month and doctors are informing everyone of the benefits of taking care of your eyes.
Doctors at Baylor Scott & White recommend getting an eye exam at least every two years, even for those who have no symptoms or have never had eye problems. They say this will help preserve healthy vision.
The National Institute of Health said around 14-million people are visually impaired. In addition, people who are economically disadvantaged have even higher rates of visual impairment.
Dr. William White, an Optometrist from Baylor Scott & White, said there are some daily choices people can make to keep their eye health strong.
"Strengthening eye health or improving eye health you know eating healthy, it’s going to translate to your entire body," said White. "Protecting your eyes from the sun it's going to be a big one especially here in central Texas where we have a lot of sunny days. So, wearing good sun glasses that wrap around is a must.”
In addition, Dr. White said there is one habit that millions of people have that can be the most damaging when it comes to your eye health.
"Smoking is one of the probably the biggest things that you can do to damage your eyes," he said. "Smoking shows up as far as cataracts and macular degeneration both was well proven to have a significant link to smoking.”
Dr. White said there are other health issues that can negatively impact your eye health like diabetes and even some neurological disorders. Therefore, it's so important to have annual eye exams to monitor and keep your vision strong.
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