Presbyopia and Your Eyes
Presbyopia and Your Eyes
Presbyopia is part of the natural aging process of the eye, and can be easily corrected. Technically, presbyopia is the loss of the eye's ability to change its focus to see objects that are near. It is not a disease. It's as natural as wrinkles, and it affects everyone at some point in life. Presbyopia generally starts to appear around age 40.
Presbyopia is often confused with farsightedness, but the two are different. Presbyopia occurs when the natural lens in the eye loses flexibility. Farsightedness occurs as a result of the natural shape of the eyeball, which causes light rays to bend incorrectly once they have entered the eye.
What’s Irritating My Eyes?
Dry weather and other things can wreak havoc on your eyes. When they’re bothering you, it’s important to find relief quickly.Here are some things that might be bothering your eyes, plus ways to fix them. And if these tips don’t help, check with your doctor.
Read the What’s Irritating My Eyes? article > >
Symptoms of presbyopia include:
An eye doctor can diagnose presbyopia by performing a thorough eye exam.
Presbyopia cannot be cured. Instead, prescription glasses, contact lenses, reading glasses, progressive addition lenses, or bifocals can help correct the effects of presbyopia. Bifocals are often prescribed for presbyopia. Bifocals are eyeglasses that have two different prescriptions in one spectacle lens. The top part of the lens corrects for distance vision and the lower portion of the lens is designed to help a person see objects up close. Progressive addition lenses are similar to bifocals but they are made to have a gradual or blended transition between the two prescriptions.
Contact lenses used to treat presbyopia include multifocal lenses, which come in soft or gas permeable versions, and monovision lenses, in which one eye wears a lens that aids in seeing objects at a distance, while the other has a lens that aids in near vision.
The FDA has approved an implant called a KAMRA Inlay that can be surgically placed in one eye to help improve near vision. It is the first implant of its kind to be approved for presbyopia patients who have not had cataract surgery.
Another surgical procedure available for some people with presbyopia is conductive keratoplasty (CK). Instead of lasers, conductive keratoplasty uses radio waves. CK enjoyed considerable popularity in the past but it is performed much less commonly now after it was realized that near vision improvements for most people treated with this procedure were quite temporary.
Other procedures are available as well. Talk to your doctor to find out which treatment is best for you.
Presbyopia is often confused with farsightedness, but the two are different. Presbyopia occurs when the natural lens in the eye loses flexibility. Farsightedness occurs as a result of the natural shape of the eyeball, which causes light rays to bend incorrectly once they have entered the eye.
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What’s Irritating My Eyes?
Dry weather and other things can wreak havoc on your eyes. When they’re bothering you, it’s important to find relief quickly.Here are some things that might be bothering your eyes, plus ways to fix them. And if these tips don’t help, check with your doctor.
Read the What’s Irritating My Eyes? article > >
What Are the Symptoms of Presbyopia?
Symptoms of presbyopia include:
- The need to hold reading material at arm's length.
- Blurred vision at a normal reading distance.
- Headaches or fatigue from doing close work.
How Is Presbyopia Diagnosed?
An eye doctor can diagnose presbyopia by performing a thorough eye exam.
How Is Presbyopia Treated?
Presbyopia cannot be cured. Instead, prescription glasses, contact lenses, reading glasses, progressive addition lenses, or bifocals can help correct the effects of presbyopia. Bifocals are often prescribed for presbyopia. Bifocals are eyeglasses that have two different prescriptions in one spectacle lens. The top part of the lens corrects for distance vision and the lower portion of the lens is designed to help a person see objects up close. Progressive addition lenses are similar to bifocals but they are made to have a gradual or blended transition between the two prescriptions.
Contact lenses used to treat presbyopia include multifocal lenses, which come in soft or gas permeable versions, and monovision lenses, in which one eye wears a lens that aids in seeing objects at a distance, while the other has a lens that aids in near vision.
The FDA has approved an implant called a KAMRA Inlay that can be surgically placed in one eye to help improve near vision. It is the first implant of its kind to be approved for presbyopia patients who have not had cataract surgery.
Another surgical procedure available for some people with presbyopia is conductive keratoplasty (CK). Instead of lasers, conductive keratoplasty uses radio waves. CK enjoyed considerable popularity in the past but it is performed much less commonly now after it was realized that near vision improvements for most people treated with this procedure were quite temporary.
Other procedures are available as well. Talk to your doctor to find out which treatment is best for you.
