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What is Presbyopia? Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Writer's picture: Plan My LasikPlan My Lasik

Updated: Oct 7, 2022

Presbyopia is the state of vision where the ability to see things clearly gets reduced. Even though it is a normal part of aging, the signs of presbyopia can be visibly noticed after attaining the age of 40. In this eye health condition, it is possible to read the stuff only by holding it at a certain distance. At a young age, the lens of the eye is soft and flexible, but, when the individual turns 40, the lens tends to become rigid. As a result, the inability to read things from a closer view or not being able to work that demands strain on vision is likely to cause presbyopia. In fact, if this eye disorder is not rectified in a timely manner, it can cause headaches, migraine or eye strain.


Symptoms of Presbyopia

  1. Blurred Vision at a normal reading distance

  2. Headaches, eye strain, or fatigue caused after reading or doing close-up work

  3. Holding reading materials at a farther distance to make words or letters readable

  4. Difficulty in reading small font size

  5. Difficulty in reading in dim lighting

Causes of Presbyopia


Presbyopia is caused when the lens of the eye gets hardened due to the natural aging process.


To understand this more clearly, let us first understand the functioning of an eye.


To see clearly, the image should form on the focal point inside the retina. Normally, the light rays fall on the lens of the eye, the lens then flexes itself depending on how far or close the object is and hence the image is formed clearly. When we are young, this eye lens is quite flexible.

However, as we age (usually after the age of 40), this eye lens tightens and is unable to change its shape. The focal point hence moves behind the retina causing a blurred image to form and this makes it difficult to read.


If Presbyopia occurs before the age of 40, the following factors could be responsible:

  1. Excessive smoking and alcohol consumption

  2. Anemia

  3. Medical conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes or multiple sclerosis

  4. Poor Nutrition

  5. Hyperopia or farsightedness


Diagnosis of Presbyopia at an Early Stage


If you are experiencing strain while reading or cannot focus on certain activities, due to your age, it is advisable to visit the best eye care hospital. The doctor will proceed with the refraction assessment test or basic eye exam initially, to check the eyes’ health. Basically, this test is aimed at identifying the major issue interrupting a clear vision.


Be it astigmatism, far-sightedness, near-sightedness, presbyopia, or any other reason, the results of the test make the picture clear about the treatment to be followed. Particularly, with respect to the diagnosis of presbyopia, various instruments are used by the doctor to address optical issues. In this phase, you will be asked to look at the reading chart through various lenses to understand your distance & close-up vision.


In addition, pupils are dilated by administering eye drops in both eyes to assess visual power. After this step, the eyes may become sensitive to light for a few hours, but, the main purpose of dilation is to record the issues hampering the proper vision in a detailed manner. On a practical note, the laser eye centre in Delhi should be consulted frequently, if you find the strained vision is becoming troublesome. This practice will eliminate risk factors and help you in getting presbyopia treated.


Treatment & Scope of Presbyopia


The objective of getting presbyopia treated is to get rid of inconvenience caused while focusing on the nearby objects. The temporary treatments for this eye health condition include wearing corrective glasses and switching to powered lenses. Nevertheless, if you are planning to seek a permanent solution from the laser eye centre in Delhi, then, refractive surgery and getting lens implants instilled in your eyes should be discussed with the doctor.


Apart from the above methods, let us take a look at other possible alternatives to correct presbyopia:


1. Using Multi-focal and Monovision Contact Lenses


The multi-focal lenses are designed to offer a clear view across all the focal points. On the other hand, monovision contact lenses have different prescriptions for the eyes, namely for distance vision and near vision. These are temporary solutions to correct presbyopia and demand maintenance, but, if you think it can be problematic, then, opting for refractive surgery will be highly recommended.


2. Monovision Lasik


This treatment is often used as the commonly relevant surgical correction method for presbyopia. But, it has some limitations pertaining to visual acuity, hence, you should always seek professional advice from an experienced ophthalmologist about its practicality in your case.


3. Multi-focal Lasik or PresbyLASIK


In this correction method, multiple power zones are created to attain the improved depth of clear vision focus irrespective of the distance. This treatment for presbyopia is approved by FDA, but, it is still under the clinical trial process in some countries. But, you can certainly seek a consultation from the top laser eye centre in Delhi and check the scope of visual acuity through this option or else, explore other permanent correction procedures to achieve a clear vision.


4. Corneal Inlays


This vision correction method for presbyopia uses tiny implantable lenses that are placed in the cornea for achieving improved and clear vision. Specifically, there are three types of commonly used corneal inlays that have been used for presbyopia correction, namely, refractive corneal inlays, small aperture inlays, and corneal reshaping inlays. With the passage of time, modifications in the design of these inlays have become common to attain improved tolerance in the human cornea.


Bottom-Line


If you can relate to either of the temporary or permanent correction methods for presbyopia stated above, then, before actually investing in any of the services, seek consultation from the top eye specialist. He will assess your visual power and depth of focus prior to recommending the ideal treatment.

 
 
 

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