The Presbyopia Awareness Guide

As we age, our eyesight becomes less able to see things. This is called presbyopia, which happens to most people as they age. Presbyopia is when the eyes can no longer focus on things close up, like reading or on your computer screens. Most people experience presbyopia between 40 and 60, but it can start as early as age 35. Treatments are available to help with presbyopia but can often be expensive. It's a natural process that happens to everyone. While presbyopia is inevitable, there are ways that you can prevent or cope with the decline in vision.

This article will discuss some of the best tips for coping with presbyopia.

What is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is a long-sighted problem that is age-related. Presbyopia is a common age-related vision disorder that makes it difficult for people to see or focus on objects up close. The muscles in the eyes become stiff and less elastic, reducing the eye's ability to focus at near. 

When Does Presbyopia Occur?

Presbyopia usually occurs around the age of 40. People with a job requiring a lot of close-up work and people who live and work in a hot climate with lots of ultraviolet sunlight exposure are also at higher risk of premature age-related long sight.

What Are The Symptoms of Presbyopia?

Presbyopia symptoms may start with difficulties with prolonged close-up work, with tiring (eye strain) of the eyes. This may be worse in dim light. You may also notice difficulty adjusting vision if you look quickly from a near object to a faraway one. This may progress to blurred vision when looking at objects close up and to headaches and eye strain when attempting close work.

Management options for presbyopia?

Many options are available for managing presbyopia, including wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, using a magnifier, or using an eye chart. Each option has its benefits and drawbacks. Some people find that they need to use multiple options to see everything. Finding the option that works best for you and your lifestyle is important.

1. Glasses 

a. Reading Glasses 

Reading glasses have different strengths and can be adjusted depending on how close or far away you are from your computer monitor or book. It is a single vision lens with a single power that s used for a limited closer range of near work. The main issues with reading glasses are that they will have to be removed to see distance. 

b. Progressive Glasses 

Progressive lenses are the most common type of glasses; they work by gradually increasing the power of your lens so that you can see better closer up. They have multiple focusing points to allow vision for distance, intermediate and near. 

c. Occupational Progressive Glasses

Occupational progressive glasses can be customised based on occupational needs and lifestyle assessments. It will most commonly be used for a desk set, and the top portion of the lens will be used for computer needs instead of a narrow intermediate zone. 

2. Contact Lenses

a. Monovision 

Monovision Contact Lenses are regular contact lenses that are fitted that one side allows for near vision, the other side for distance vision. This might cause headaches and dizziness in some people and is unsuitable for drivers because it affects depth perception. 

b. Multifocal 

Multifocal contact lenses have multiple concave surface areas that help maximise viewing distance for people with presbyopia. Additionally, multifocal contact lenses may improve clarity and detail when reading or using a computer since they provide artificial focal points beyond what natural vision can achieve.

3. Surgery 

a. LASER surgery (one to allow near vision, one to allow distance vision) 

Lasers can correct vision problems in people who have become nearsighted or farsighted. Laser surgery can improve your vision by correcting your nearsightedness or farsightedness. These lasers shape the eye's front surface to act like a contact lens permanently on the eye. 

b. Refractive lens exchange (RLE)

RLE is the removal and replacement of the eye's natural lens with an artificial lens to improve vision. The procedure is very similar to cataract surgery. The artificial lens is usually multifocal, but various types are available. RLE can reduce the need for reading glasses while providing clear distance vision without glasses. It is particularly helpful for patients with age-related long sight developing cataracts.

Conclusion

While presbyopia is inevitable, there are ways that you can prevent or cope with the decline in vision after age 40. Following some of the tips in this article can help protect your eyesight and enjoy better vision into your retirement years.

It is important to undergo a full eye test once a year to keep track of the eye conditions and manage them appropriately. 

Vision Direct Club offers home-visit optometry services to check for presbyopia and other eye health conditions. You can book your eye examination appointment with us here. 

Suppose you would like to speak to an optometrist and understand more about your eye conditions and get recommendations for your eye care needs. In that case, you can also book a tele-optometry consultation call with us.