Presbyopia Explained
Presbyopia is due to the natural lens inside the eye gradually aging and losing its flexibility; this results in blurry vision for reading and near work. In a younger eye, one’s lens will flex and accommodate to see up close. Most people may notice the symptoms around age 45; once they notice that they must hold books, magazines, and other materials further away to be able to focus their eyes to read.
Symptoms of Presbyopia can vary from person to person and some patients report symptoms like headaches, eye strain, and decrease in the ability to focus. In addition, you might find yourself needing to hold reading material farther away to focus, and you might need a larger text and more lighting to read.
If you are concerned and think you may have presbyopia, schedule a routine eye exam with your local optometrist. A couple of tests that would be performed would be an examination of the retina, integrity of the eye muscle, or a refractive test. A common solution to presbyopia is a pair of reading glasses. While you can buy these over-the -counter it is advised to visit your local optometrist to receive an accurate prescription, especially because OTC reading glasses are the same prescription for both lenses. In addition, there are potentially surgical options such as LASIK eye surgery for those who do not want to wear contacts or glasses. Unfortunately, there is no proven prevention for presbyopia.
What Is Monovision?
One potential treatment to help with presbyopia is the correction method called “monovision.” Monovision can be accomplished with corrective lenses or with laser vision correction. With monovision corrective lenses, one eye is fitted with a lens for distance (if needed) and the other eye is fitted with a lens for near objects, providing unobstructed vision for both near vision and distant. During monovision laser vision correction, one eye may be treated for distance while the other eye is untreated or under treated to support close vision.
At first, monovision can seem a bit strange; however, most people receive superb results from monovision. Although monovision may not be comfortable for everyone, it can be a great option for patients who currently have presbyopia and want to avoid having to wear reading glasses as much as possible. Monovision can help you achieve good, functional near and distant vision. These procedures may not present perfect vision, so doctors often do their best to simulate the experience so that patients can determine if it is a great fit for them and their careers and lifestyles.
If this issue is not corrected, the vision will get worse and can cause problems with lifestyle, work, and even driving. The best way to determine if monovision might work for you is to give us a call, request more information, or request an exam. We can set you up with a free LASIK consultation to see if you are a candidate and what treatment solutions are best for you as an individual.
