Our eyes are an important part of our enjoyment of life. The gift of sight is something that once gone, we can never get back. Take a look at the five eye conditions that are usually treated with a pair of eyeglasses.

The gift of sight...being able to see the world in bright, vivid colors and with perfect clarity and precision; Yet, owing to a range of eye diseases many of us are not able to enjoy this gift to the fullest. Although there are a number of eye problems out there and we are all, unfortunately, susceptible if we do not take care of our eyes and our eyesight, there are five which are easily treated with a pair of prescription eyeglasses.

•  Nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia): these are the two most common eye ailments. The former meaning that one can only see things clearly from up close, and so needs corrective vision for seeing at a distance; while the latter means the opposite. One can see well at a distance but not up close. Most often, people only need eyeglasses for farsightedness when they reach their 30s and 40s.

•  Astigmatism: this is curvature of the cornea, preventing complete focus and clarity. Eyeglasses manufactured specifically for this purpose help to bend the light in a way that ensures that one sees clearly - no more blur! 30-40% of people with myopia and hyperopia also suffer from astigmatism.

• Aging eyes and differences in distance vision; Presbyopia: Age often results in our eyes seeing on different levels, necessitating the use of different strengths of eyeglasses for different purposes. In the past, one literally used two different eyeglasses, swapping them according to their visual needs. However, today, multifocal glasses have changed that reality. With these eyeglasses, each lens combines small lenses, containing two or more vision-correcting prescriptions. What does this give you? A complete visual solution in one frame. Although it may take a short while to get used to, wearing multifocal glasses will quickly become second nature.

• Cross-eye or Strabismus: when the eye muscled do not work as they should because of a problem with the alignment of the eyes. This is one eye condition that can lead to blindness if not treated; yet can easily be solved by forcing the eye to work. In almost all cases, prescription eyeglasses are included in the treatment, in order to force the one eye to see as it should.

• Amblyopia: often the result of cross-eye, amblyopia (or "lazy-eye" as it is often known) occurs when one has not used one’s eyes properly during the formative childhood years. Treatment usually occurs on two levels; the first being treatment for the vision itself by way of corrective eyeglasses, while the second level involves training the brain to work with the eye so that the one can see out of it.

Just remember, there is no cure for blindness - no matter what you do, once you hit this point, your sight is gone forever - so protect your eyes from the start.

Visit the eye doctor annually for your updated eyeglasses prescription and immediately buy the appropriate glasses for you - whether they’re regular prescription or multifocal glasses. You can never do enough to care for your eyesight!