Aging and Your Vision - Presbyopia

Visit your Blacksburg, VA Optometrist to Find Out About Treatment Options

Many adults at some point begin to experience presbyopia or a reduced ability to focus on objects at a close range, as they age. As people worldwide are living longer, more and more 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 lose flexibility by the age of 40, making it harder for eyes to focus in on something, especially an object nearby. Sufferers usually deal with the reduced vision by holding the paper away from their eyes or standing back from the object they want to focus on. Transitions from focusing on distant objects to closer ones can often be straining for those with presbyopia. This tension might worsen the situation by causing eye strain, fatigues or headaches.

The most common corrections for presbyopia are bifocal lenses or progressive addition lenses (PALs). Bifocal lenses are divided into two points of focus, one is for viewing objects from a distance and the other part of the lens is for focusing on objects that are close by. Progressive lenses use the same principal as bifocals, however they provide a more gradual transition between the two prescriptions. Wearers can more easily shift visual focus, as they could if they had normal sight. Another option is reading glasses which, unlike bifocals or PALs which are worn all day, are used only when needed.

If contacts are preferred over eyeglasses, there are other alternatives such as multifocal contacts. It may take a few tries to decide upon the optimal use of contacts since different lenses can cause discomfort or blurriness.

In addition, there are surgical options available that should be discussed with your optometrist. Many patients are most successful using a combination of options for presbyopia. Furthermore, because presbyopia will likely get worse as you age, it is likely that you will need to continually adjust your correction. The good news is, there continues to be a significant amount of experimental treatment on the market currently to identify other and perhaps more permanent solutions for the growing number of people dealing with presbyopia.

If you are beginning to see signs of presbyopia, schedule a visit with your Blacksburg, VA eye doctor. Improved eyesight is worth it!