Did you know that blindness affects women more than men? The National Institutes of Health reports that 2/3rds of the people with blindness or visual impairments are women. Often, hormones, and especially life changes such as pregnancy and menopause, cause changes in women’s eyes.

The colored part of your eye is called the “iris”. This part of your eye is pigmented depending on your genetics, which will determine what eye color you have. Many babies have blue eyes when they are born and for most of their first year of life. However, that might not be the eye color that they will always have, as pigmentation in the eye can change over time.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Many people know that it’s important to protect their eyes during the summer months. This is a time when the sun is out most days and UV damage to the eyes and skin is high. However, many people aren’t aware that the sun can cause just as much damage on an overcast day or during the wintertime.