Presbyopia is a condition where the eyes gradually lose their ability to see things up close. It is a condition that develops with age and you may start to acquire presbyopia shortly after your 40’s.
Causes Of Presbyopia
The clear lens inside the eye is situated behind the colored iris. This lens changes shape to focus light onto the retina and as a result you can see. When young, the lens is soft, flexible and easily able to change its shape. This enables you to focus on objects both close-up and far away. However, after the age of 40, your lens may become more rigid; this makes it harder to read and perform other close-up tasks.
Presbyopia is a condition that develops with age, and there is no way to prevent or reverse it, as aging is an inevitable part of life. If you find yourself suffering from presbyopia, the best option is to go to an eye hospital and undergo the required treatment. There are several treatment options including spectacles, contact lenses, or surgery.
The eye doctor is best fit to prescribe the right kind of treatment option, as treatment can be different from person-to-person. Failure to treat presbyopia could cause persistent headaches and eyestrain.
Treatment Options
Reading Glasses
Treatment is very simple if presbyopia is the only concern and there are no other eye diseases. Such patients will only require reading glasses to correct vision and reduce their eyestrain. Reading glasses work by bending (refracting) light before it enters your eye and this helps correct your close-up vision.
Bifocals Trifocals And Progressive Lenses
If you are already suffering from other refractive errors and are using eyeglasses for them you may have to rely on bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses to correct presbyopia.
Bifocals: These eyeglasses can correct both close-up and far vision. A line divides the lens of the glasses. The bottom of the lens performs the function of refracting light to enable close-up vision, whereas the top portion refracts light and aids to see distant objects.
Trifocals: These specialized eyeglasses have three lens areas, which correct close-up, mid-range and far vision.
Progressive lenses: These lenses are used in eyeglasses that have the same properties as bifocals and trifocals. However, these lenses do not have a line that divides each refractive area, instead, the refraction in the lens gradually changes from top to bottom.
Contact Lens: People who do not prefer eyeglasses can always opt for contact lenses. The two popular contact lenses used to correct presbyopia are monovision contacts and multifocal contacts.
Surgical Treatment
Refractive surgery: People who do not wish to wear glasses or contacts can opt for refractive surgery to correct their vision. The eye specialist uses a laser to reshape the cornea for clear far vision in one eye, and close-up vision in the other.
Corneal inlays: This is a new alternative. Here, tiny devices called corneal inlays are implanted in the cornea, which then helps correct presbyopia. This procedure is completed with minimally invasive surgery and helps restore close-up vision.
Even though there are numerous treatments for presbyopia, confirm your diagnosis and treatment plan by visiting an eye clinic. Treatments range from eyeglasses to surgery; you can readily treat your presbyopia and this can help you eliminate your visual struggles.