Low vision generally means impaired vision, and it can happen whether you are young or old. Many people have low vision (meaning they can’t see well) due to hereditary conditions, eye diseases or eye injuries. Some people don’t see well at sunset with changing light and others have vision that deteriorates slowly as they age.

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.

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.

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.

Blurry vision can occur without warning, or it can happen gradually with certain chronic conditions. If this is the case, your vision may be misty or blurry so that you cannot see details at a distance, or your glasses can seem scratched and dirty when they’re not. Some problems can be resolved with the right vision treatment or appliance such as glasses or contact lenses. Other problems may need close care and treatment throughout the years.