Unable to see nearby objects clearly is a normal part of aging. Known as presbyopia, this typically becomes noticeable in your early forties. Eventually it happens to everyone. One of the signs of presbyopia is when you start holding newspapers, books or mobiles further away, i.e.at the arm’s length, in order to read and recognize letters without straining the eyes.
What is Presbyopia?
Presbyopia is when your eyes gradually lose the ability to see things clearly, up close. It is a normal part of aging. In fact, the term “presbyopia” comes from a Greek word that means “old eye.”
What Causes Presbyopia?
There are various theories for the mechanism of presbyopia. There is a clear lens that is present inside the eye behind the colored iris. It is similar to how the lens is present behind the small aperture in the camera. The lens changes shape based on thelight that falls onto the retina, so that one can see. Eyes can focus on nearby and faraway objects with the changing shape of the lens. This changes the refractive power (focusing power) of the lens. When you are looking at faraway objects the lens becomes flatter and thinner. Similarly, to see nearby objects clearly, the lens becomes curved and thicker with the help of a muscle in the eye. The medical term for these adjustments is known as accommodation.
When a person is young, the lens are soft and flexible, and can easily change shape. This allows the person to easily focus on objects both near and far away. After the age of 40, the lens start becoming harder and stiffer, and cannot change shape as easily. This makes it difficult to see things that are closer but the ability to see farther objects will be retained.
What are the Symptoms of Presbyopia?
Most common early symptoms are:- Difficulty in reading small prints.
- Blurring, which causes eye strain, burning sensation, and headache.
- Holding reading material farther away to make the letters clearer
Is Presbyopia Curable?
Presbyopia is a physiological condition, which is normally an age-related change. Although there are no effective treatments to control the cause of presbyopia, its effects can easily be corrected, by wearing numbered glasses.
How is Presbyopia Diagnosed?
Presbyopia is diagnosed by a basic examination by an ophthalmologist (an eye doctor) or an optometrist. A basic eye examination includes a refraction assessment and an eye health exam.
A refraction assessment, using various instruments helps determine if you have nearsightedness or farsightedness. They also use eye charts, that have letters, numbers or broken rings of decreasing size on them. The doctor will ask you to look through several lenses, adjusting the angle before coming to a conclusion and the right number for your spectacles. Because the vision can be different in each eye, your eyes are tested separately by first covering one eye and then covering the other.
What is the Treatment for Presbyopia?
The most common treatment option is, Spectacles. Other available options are contact lenses and refractive laser procedures.
Eye Glasses:The most common (and simplest) treatment for presbyopia is wearing eyeglasses. In case you have both nearsightedness, and farsightedness, use bifocal or progressive eyeglasses. A bifocal lens is split into two sections. The larger upper section corrects distance vision, while the smaller lower section allows you to see up close. Progressive lenses function in a similar manner, except that the sections of the lens optimized for distance and near vision are blended, which means there is no clear distinction between the fields themselves.
Contact LensesMultifocal and monovision contact lenses are used by many for presbyopia. Multifocal contact lenses function in a manner similar to bifocal eyeglasses and are designed to provide clear vision across various focal points. Monovision contact lenses offer different prescriptions for each eye; one for distance vision and one for near vision. This can be problematic for some people as they have made eye adjustments accordingly.
Laser CorrectionMany people because of cosmetic concerns or because they find eyeglasses cumbersome, opt for Lasik surgery.
Monovision LasikVariation in LASIK that helps to reduce the need for reading glasses or bifocals. It is a procedure that corrects the dominant eye for distance vision while leaving the less-dominant eye nearsighted
PresbyLASIKThis is the most commonly used surgical correction in presbyopes. Both the eyes are adjusted for near and distance vision. PresbyLasik helps creates multiple “power zones” across the surface of the cornea to improve the depth of clear vision focus at any distance.
MM Joshi Eye Hospital – Expertise in All Types of Eye AilmentsEven though Presbyopia is an age-related condition, timely treatment is necessary. It is important to get evaluated routinely. We at MM JOSHI offer consultations in various cities to treat all types of eye ailments. A separate contact lens clinic is available where we offer more information regarding the usage, fitting, and for dispensing of contact lenses. Our institute is well equipped for advanced treatment options like refractive surgeries and is done by expert ophthalmologists.
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MMJ Eye Institute