Reading vision problems (presbyopia)

Modern life has so much to do with smartphones, tablets, computers, and the rest. To make matters worse, almost everyone feels uncomfortable about using reading glasses. Naturally, we begin to lose the ability to focus on near objects as we age. This gradual change is what science describes as presbyopia. It is the reason most people aged 50 and above need to use reading glasses to magnify letters.

Surgical procedures can also treat presbyopia. Some of these procedures are Presby-laserblendedvision and refractive lens exchange. They allow the people to overcome the inconvenience of reading with correction glasses and feel the freedom of reading glasses free.

Presbyopia: what is it?

Presbyopia is the name used to describe problems associated with your reading vision which affect almost everybody as they age. It is usually caused by some natural change in the crystalline lens. The crystalline lens at a younger age is generally flexible, and the surrounding muscles in the eye can tweak it so that its shape changes, hence increase its power to focus on objects at different distances. This action is reflex, and it does not require effort. We call it accommodation.

Just as we grow in age, this lens begins to stiffen thereby making it difficult for our muscles to make it change its shape and gain the necessary power. This is why it gets more challenging to focus on objects.

Symptoms of presbyopia

People begin to lose their accommodating ability at a early stage in life but do not notice the symptoms of the condition until they age. The most typical sign is the inability to read until they hold the reading material further away.

The following are the symptoms of presbyopia:

• The need to hold the reading material further away from you to see the letters clearly
• Headaches and eye strain when you read for an extended period
• Inability to maintain focus on things. This may lead to a headache and can worsen as the day advances.

The symptoms of presbyopia are often noticed at first during the deterioration of the winter season. This is because the lighting usually worsens at this time. Presbyopia has no cure, and there is no way to slow down its progress. Without urgent intervention, patients will end up having blurred near vision.

Let us know if you have problems with your vision. We will examine your eye to see if it is presbyopia and discuss your potential treatment options.

Causes of presbyopia

The primary cause of presbyopia is the natural change in the lens of the eye that occurs with age. Though it is similar to hypermetropia, it is an entirely different condition. Hypermetropia is an eye condition that is characterised by an inability to focus on near objects. However, its patients can have a clear vision of all other distant objects. Presbyopia, on the other hand, affects only the close vision but will cause a distant vision to blur when it is not given the appropriate attention.

Presbyopia occurs as a result of the stiffening of the natural lens, which loses its flexibility as we age. For clear vision, light enters the eyes through the lens and cornea and rests on the retina. This process goes smoothly for younger people since their lenses can flex to adjust the light to fall on the retina, notwithstanding the distance of the reading material.

Positive reading glasses magnify the object to be read and make the text or image look closer for the patient to see clearly.

People who are short-sighted will still have clear near vision at this age. However, they will notice the symptoms of presbyopia when they correct the short-sightedness (myopia) with contact lenses or glasses.

Available treatment options for presbyopia

A large quarter or more of each day is spent on smartphones and computers. Many tasks we do as individuals are within a near or intermediate distance; however, it is a difficult task to use a smartphone or computer device wearing glasses.

There are surgical options available for correcting presbyopia, and they have been used for about two decades now. However, there have been constant improvements. The most suitable type of surgery to be used on you will be determined by the condition of your eye, your visual needs and overall health.

Your surgeon will discuss the most suitable presbyopia treatment for you and explain the factors affecting the choice. These factors will include your presbyopia severity and the presence of other related conditions.

The following are the surgical procedures used for treating presbyopia:

• Laser eye surgery (Presbymax, laser blended vision or monovision):This treatment is very effective as it uses the non-dominant eye for nearer vision and dominant eye for distant images. This spread in focus helps people to have adequate vision without having to use reading glasses.

Laser blended visionis a sophisticated version of the monovision and enhances the depth of vision by adequately adjusting the eye optics.

• Refractive Lens Exchange or Clear Lens Extraction: Being known as lens replacement, it is similar to cataract surgery, only that it involves the removal of the stiff natural crystalline lens and replace it with a multifocal one. Another suitable replacement is a lens implant with an extended depth of focus. The majority of people do not need glasses to have a clear vision of near and distant objects after the clear lens exchange procedure.

We are available to take your needs and provide a long-lasting solution.

Contact us today for your treatment for presbyopia.