How Age Affects Your Vision - Presbyopia

Contact your Houston, TX Optometrist to Find Out About Treatment Options

Presbyopia is an age-related condition in which objects at a close range, such as newspapers, books or sewing, become blurred. With the growing worldwide population reaching older ages, a significant number of individuals are developing the condition, which is an unavoidable result of your aging eye.

Theories about the cause of presbyopia are that the eyes' lenses will begin to thicken by age 40, making it more difficult for the eyes to focus in on something, particularly an object close by. Those with presbyopia usually manage with near visual impairment by holding a book far away or standing back from the object they are looking at. Transitions from focusing on far away things to closer ones can often be tiring for those with presbyopia. This strain could worsen the situation by causing headaches, eye strain or fatigue.

Most often bifocal lenses or progressives (PALs) are used to resolve presbyopia. Bifocal lenses have two points of focus, the upper portion is for distance vision and a second, lower portion for looking at objects that are close by. PALs use the same principal as bifocal lenses, however they have a more gradual transition between the separate prescriptions. Wearers can more easily change visual focus, as they could if they had standard vision. An alternative would be reading glasses which are usually worn just when needed as opposed to all day.

If contact lenses are preferable, there are other alternatives such as multifocal contacts. It may take a while to figure out the optimal use of contacts since different prescriptions can have an effect on your comfort or distance vision.

There are also options for other procedures including surgery available that should be talked over with your eye doctor. Many people are most successful using a combination of treatments for presbyopia. Also, because your eyesight will likely worsen with age, it is likely that you will need to continually adjust your correction. With the population growing older, there continues to be a significant amount of research being done to discover more and perhaps more permanent treatments for presbyopia.

If you are starting to notice symptoms of presbyopia, call for an appointment with your Houston, TX eye doctor. Improved eyesight is only a call away!

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