PRESBYOPIA

WHAT IS PRESBYOPIA?
During middle age, usually beginning in the 40's people experience blurred vision at near points, such as reading, sewing or working at the computer. There's no getting around it - this happens to everyone at some point in life, even those who have never had a vision problem before.

WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF PRESBYOPIA
When people develop presbyopia, they find they need to hold books, magazines, newspapers, menus and other reading materials at arm's length in order to focus properly. When they perform near work, such as embroidery or handwriting they may have headaches or eyestrain, or feel fatigued.

WHAT CAUSES PRESBYOPIA?
Presbyopia is an age-related process caused by a gradual loss of flexibility of the natural lens inside your eye. This change is due to a hardening of the lens that results in a harder time focusing up close. Presbyopia is different from myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism that are disorders related to the shape of the eye.

CAN PRESBYOPIA BE TREATED?
Eyeglasses are the most common correction for presbyopia. Reading glasses, traditional lined bifocals, or progressive addition lenses all work to improve the quality of near vision. Contact lenses and surgery are also alternatives to wearing glasses.

BIFOCAL means two points of focus: the top part of the spectacles lens contains a prescription for distance while the lower portion of the lens holds the correction for close work.

PROGRESSIVE ADDITION lenses is similar to bifocal lenses, but they offer a more gradual transition between the two prescriptions, with no visible lines between them.

READING GLASSES are another choice. Unlike bifocals and progressive lenses which most people weal all day, reading glasses are typically worn just during close work.

CONTACT LENSES are another choice that is gaining in popularity. Contact lenses for presbyopia are called multifocal lenses and come in soft and gas permeable material. Another type of contact lens correction for presbyopia is monovision, in which one eye wears a near prescription and the other eye wears a distance prescription.

SURGERY is a new option for individuals who do not wish to wear contact lenses or eyeglasses. The newest surgical option to be approved by the FDA is called conductive keratoplasty or CK. This treatment uses radio waves to create a steeper curve to the cornea in one eye to aid with near vision. Other options have been utilized using traditional surgical techniques with varying degrees of success.