We’re sure that nobody enjoys aging. After all, it seems like there’s no part of your body that escapes unscathed. Unfortunately, this means your eyes as well.
One of the most common ways our eyes age is by developing presbyopia. If you use reading glasses to see your smartphone or tags while shopping, you know presbyopia.
What is presbyopia?
If you don’t know what presbyopia is, it’s a vision condition naturally caused by aging. When you’re younger, your eyes are more flexible, making it easier to see up close.
As we get older, our eyes flexibility decreases. The lens of the eye cannot stretch as far as it used to, and the shape of lens changes. What we were once able to see up close may now need reading glasses to see.
The effects of presbyopia start becoming most obvious in your forties or fifties. Common signs of presbyopia include:
- blurred vision when something is at a normal distance
- eye fatigue and headaches when completing work close up
- holding things you’re reading at an arm’s length away
Who is affected most by presbyopia?
The effects of presbyopia are most noticeable around a patient’s forties and fifties. This is not to say that vision changes due to presbyopia cannot occur sooner, because they can.
Some of the effects of presbyopia may develop slowly enough that they are only noticed later.
Is there treatment for presbyopia?
The most obvious way to treat presbyopia is investing in reading glasses. There are several other ways that you can treat presbyopia.
Bifocals or multifocal lenses
Another way to treat presbyopia is with bifocals. Bifocals, or multifocal lenses, work by having a lens with two focal points. One lens is for seeing distant objects, and one lens is for seeing objects close up.
Multifocal lenses traditionally had a line running between the two focal point areas. Today, it is almost impossible to tell if someone is wearing bifocals or not.
Progressive multifocal lenses have become popular as well, because they are less noticeable. Progressives have a slower change in power and may look more youthful than bifocals.
Presbyopia contact lenses
Don’t want to wear bifocals? You can wear bifocal contact lenses instead! This can be a good option for people who don’t normally wear glasses and have never had vision problems.
These contact lenses have two prescriptive powers for distance and up close vision. The other option for contact lens wearers with presbyopia is monovision contacts.
One eye wears a lens for near vision, and the other eye wears a lens for distance vision. Put together, your eyes are able to see at any distance.
The Symfony IOL
Want to permanently correct your presbyopia? Stahl Eyecare Experts are now offering the Symfony IOL. The Symfony IOL is the only one of its kind. This is an IOL, or intraocular lens that corrects for all distances: near and far.
No other IOL can do that! You may be wondering who can get the Symfony IOL, since IOLs are associated with cataract surgery. The Symfony IOL can be implanted during cataract surgery but it doesn’t have to be.
If you don’t have cataracts, your natural lens gets removed from your eye. The Symfony IOL is then inserted into your eye and replaces your lens.
By getting the Symfony IOL, you can actually avoid getting cataracts later on! This is because cataracts only form on the natural lens. By removing your natural lens, you can’t get a cataract!
You can also get the Symfony IOL during cataract surgery. Your cataract is broken up and then removed. Once the cataract removal is complete, your natural lens gets removed. Your lens is then replaced with the Symfony IOL.
Not only can you have your cataract removed but you can correct your presbyopia at the same time! Talk about killing two birds with one stone.
Want more information about presbyopia? Contact Stahl Eyecare Experts in Long Island for a consultation today!
