All About Presbyopia

Contact your Escondido, CA Eye Doctor to Find Out About Treatment Options

Presbyopia is an age-related condition in which the ability to focus on close objects becomes diminished. As people around the world are living longer, a larger number of individuals develop the condition, which currently cannot be escaped.

Theories about the cause of presbyopia state that the eye will sometimes lose flexibility around the age of 40, making it harder for the eyes to focus in on something, especially something close by. Sufferers usually cope with near visual impairment by holding the paper away from their eyes or standing back from the object they are looking at. Shifting from focusing on far away objects to closer ones can often be strenuous for those with presbyopia. This tension can add to one's discomfort by causing eye strain, fatigues or headaches.

Most of the time bifocals or progressives (PALs) are used to correct this problem. Bifocal lenses are divided into two points of focus, one is for distance vision and a second, lower portion for seeing things nearby. Progressive addition lenses use the same principal as bifocals, however they provide a more gradual transition between the two prescriptions and have no visible line between them. Wearers will more easily shift their focus, as they could if they had normal sight. An alternative would be reading glasses which, unlike bifocals or PALs which are worn continually, are used only when needed.

Presbyopes can also use multifocal contacts or monovision lens correction (in which one eye is prescribed a distance vision and the other near vision) to correct the condition. It may take a few tries to come up with the optimal use of contacts since different prescriptions can cause discomfort or blurriness.

There are also surgical options available that may be worth discussing with your optometrist. Many patients are most successful using a combination of treatments for presbyopia. Also, since presbyopia will likely worsen with age, you will probably be required to continually adjust the strength of your prescription. The positive news is, there continues to be quite a bit of research being done to discover more effective treatments for presbyopia.

If you are starting to notice signs of presbyopia, call for a visit with your Escondido, CA eye doctor. Better eyesight is only a quick call away!