Contact your Lafayette, LA Optometrist to Learn More About Treatment Options
Presbyopia is an age-related condition in which objects at a close range, such as newspapers, books or sewing, become blurred. As people around the world are living longer, a significant number of people are developing the condition, which currently cannot be escaped.
Many believe that presbyopia is caused because the eye will begin to harden by age 40, making it harder for the eyes to focus on something, particularly something nearby. Those with presbyopia often cope with near visual impairment by holding the paper away from their eyes or standing at a distance from the object they are looking at. Transitions from looking at distant things to nearer ones are often straining for people with presbyopia. This stress could worsen the situation resulting in headaches, eye strain or fatigue.
Most often bifocal lenses or progressives (PALs) are worn to deal with presbyopia. Bifocal lenses have two prescriptions for vision, the upper portion is for distance vision and a second, lower portion for focusing on things nearby. Progressive addition lenses use the same principal as bifocal lenses, but they provide a more subtle transition between the separate prescriptions and have no clear distinction between them. Wearers will more easily change their focus, as they would having normal sight. An alternative would be reading glasses which are usually worn just when needed as opposed to all day.
Presbyopes can also consider multifocal contacts or monovision lens correction (when one eye is prescribed a correction for distance vision and the other near vision) to improve their vision impairment. It may take some time to decide upon the best method and type of contacts because different prescriptions can have an effect on your comfort or distance vision.
There are also surgical options that could be considered that should be discussed with your optometrist. A lot of people are most successful combining options for presbyopia. Furthermore, because presbyopia will continue to get worse as you get older, it is likely that you will be required to keep adjusting the strength of your correction. With the population growing older, there is a significant amount of experimental treatment on the market currently to identify additional and perhaps more permanent solutions for patients with presbyopia.
If you are beginning to notice signs of presbyopia, book a check up with your Lafayette, LA optometrist. A return to normal eyesight can be yours!