You may have had a stye (sty) at some point in your life and not realized it. Styes can happen easily if you wear makeup around your eyes or if you don’t wash your face often. A stye is an infection along your eyelid caused by bacteria. You may notice a small, red bump near the edge of your eyelid that may even look like a pimple.

Did you know that the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) estimates that more than 43 million Americans will eventually develop eye diseases? The most common eye problems are either refractive errors of the eyes or are age-related diseases. However, your daily habits can determine if you are at risk for developing eye diseases or not.

Have you noticed vision changes lately? This could be caused by a refractive error of the eye. Refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are some of the most common visual problems affecting both adults and children. There is a difference between blurry vision and cloudy vision, as cloudy vision could signal an eye disease such as glaucoma or macular degeneration.

The childhood years are a time of crucial eye development. A child’s eyes continue developing up through their pre-teen years. This is a critical period for eye problems to manifest and for vision problems to be corrected. You can correct a child’s vision problems by choosing glasses for them.

Your retina is one of the most important parts of your eye and one that is vital for clear vision. The seeing process is very complex and involves many parts of the eyes working together correctly. The retina is key for interpreting light and telling your brain what you are seeing.

New research has led scientists to believe that people may not see all the same colors when they look at the same things. It comes down to color perception. Although most of us would agree that red is the color of tomatoes, strawberries and stop signs, scientists now think that one person's red could be another person's blue.

At some point in our lives, most of us will experience some form of vision loss. Educating yourself on the most common conditions will help you recognize signs and symptoms. Acting early on the onset of some symptoms is crucial for reversible conditions. Educate yourself on these six most common eye problems to prolong your good eye health: refractive errors, cataracts, keratoconus, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

Between the harsh winter winds outside and the dry heat inside, our eyes can quickly become irritated and dried out in the winter months. Being exposed to either of these atmospheres can trigger a sudden onset of moisture evaporation inside of our eyes. Tear glands can’t produce fluid quick enough to maintain the protective, liquid coating that our eyes need to stay hydrated.

Want to see clearly in 2018? You have options for better vision that include glasses, contact lenses, and especially LASIK eye surgery. However, some options are better for others if they want a permanent vision fix. You can find that permanent fix through LASIK eye surgery. While LASIK eye surgery may allow you to say goodbye to corrective lenses, it's not right for everybody. Discover if you are a good candidate and what to consider as you weigh your decision.

Sunglasses aren’t just the go-to summertime accessory. Winter demands that you wear your sunglasses too! Protecting your eyes from the harsh glare of the sun can decrease your likelihood of developing cataracts, macular degeneration and cornea sunburns. Exposure to the sun during the winter can also increase your risk vision problems due to snow glare, snow blindness, or dry eye.