Aging and Your Eyesight - Presbyopia
Visit your Centennial, CO Optometrist to Find Out About Treatment Options
Many adults at some point see signs of presbyopia or a diminished ability to focus on objects that are close, as they age. As people worldwide are living longer a larger number of individuals are developing presbyopia, which currently cannot be avoided.
Many believe that presbyopia is caused because the eyes' lenses will begin to thicken by the age of 40, making it more difficult for eyes to focus on something, particularly an object close by. Those with the condition often cope with near visual impairment by holding the paper far away or standing back from the object they are looking at. Transitions from focusing on far off things to nearer ones can often be strenuous for people with presbyopia. This stress could worsen the situation by causing eye strain, fatigues or headaches.
The most common corrections for presbyopia are bifocals or progressive addition lenses (PALs). Bifocal lenses are separated into two points of focus, the main part of the lens has a prescription for seeing objects from a distance and a second, lower portion for looking at objects that are close by. PALs use the same principal as bifocals, however the transitions between the two prescriptions are more gradual. Wearers will more easily change visual focus, as they could with normal eyesight. An alternative would be reading glasses which, unlike bifocals or PALs which are worn continually, are used only as needed.
If contacts are preferable, there are other alternatives such as multifocal contacts. People react differently to multifocal lenses, so it may take a few tries to figure out if and in what combination they work for you.
There are also surgical options that could be considered that should be discussed with your eye doctor. Many people are most successful combining options for presbyopia. Also, because your vision will continue to worsen as you age, you will probably need to continually adjust your prescription. With the population growing older, there is a significant amount of research being done to discover additional effective treatments for presbyopia.
If you are starting to notice symptoms of presbyopia, book a visit with your Centennial, CO optometrist. Better eyesight is worth it!
