Presbyopia is also called old age eye or short arm syndrome. People
have more difficulty focusing on the near objects, usually beginning
in their 40’s. Presbyopia occurs when the lens of the eye begins to
have difficulty adjusting, in other words, changing its focal
distance. This happens to everyone at some point in life, and can
happen to even those who have never had a vision problem before.
Symptoms of Presbyopia:
Presbyopia is said to be developed when people tend to hold reading
materials at arm's length, have blurred vision at normal reading
distance and face eye fatigue along with headache while doing close
work.
Causes of Presbyopia:
Although, presbyopia may seem to occur suddenly, the actual loss of
flexibility in the natural lens inside your eye takes place over a
number of years. This is an age-related process, which is different
from astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness. These changes
occur within the proteins in the lens, making it gradually thicker
and less elastic over the years. The changes also take place in the
muscle fibres surrounding the lens, due to which people find it
difficult to focus up close.
Treatments for Presbyopia:
There are a number of treatments available for presbyopia. The most
common and easiest treatment to correct presbyopia is by using
eyeglasses with bifocals, trifocals or progressive addition lenses (PALs).
Bifocals are two point glasses, where the main part of the spectacle
lens is specifically used as a prescription for nearsightedness or
farsightedness; while the lower portion of the lens strongly holds
the treatment for close work
Progressive addition lenses are similar to bifocal lenses, but they
offer a more steady vision change between the two prescriptions,
with no visible lines between them.
Patients with presbyopia, who do not have other vision problems, may
simply opt for reading glasses. The basic advantage of reading
glasses is that we do not have to wear them all the time, but can be
used only when required. They can also be used to focus on close
work like sewing, making embroideries etc.
The use of contact lenses can be an alternative for presbyopic
patients, who do not want to use eyeglasses. Multifocal contact
lenses and Monovision contact lenses are two types of lenses used
for correcting presbyopia. Multifocal lenses work like bifocals,
providing twin points of focus. People, who opt for monovision
contact lenses, will have to fit a lens to address distance objects
in one eye, while the other eye’s contact lens offers a completely
different strength to address near vision.
Similarly, getting Lasik surgery can also reduce the impact of
presbyopia on one's life. New surgical options to correct presbyopia
are being researched and are already available in many countries. In
the year 2004, the FDA approved a new technique, conductive
keratoplasty, for treating presbyopia. The surgery has same affects
as Lasik, which results in the lens lengthening.
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