Presbyopia: What Is It, and How To Treat It

As you approached the age of 40, you were looking forward to relaxing a little more.  Maybe your children are growing up, or you’re enjoying greater success at work.  Perhaps you’re even taking more vacations, as you’re secure enough in your work and life to start exploring new corners of the world.

What you weren’t expecting, however, is to experience blurred vision whenever you held a small object to your eyes. 

If this scenario sounds familiar to you, it’s likely that you’re suffering from presbyopia.  This is a chronic eye condition that typically affects people around the age of 40.  Presbyopia is a near-universal ocular condition that affects individuals with vision problems, as well as those who have never had a vision problem in their lives.  In fact, it’s estimated that almost one billion people in the world current suffer from presbyopia – and over 517 million of these individuals do not have the corrective lenses they need to make up for the problem.

Presbyopia is an age-related process that makes it difficult for you to see smaller objects at a close distance; however you can see things clearly from afar.  You may notice this when you’re sewing, reading, or even working on your laptop at home. 

Symptoms of Presbyopia:

• Headaches
• Eye strain or stress
• Fatigue
• Having to hold objects far away from your eyes

Presbyopia is a gradual hardening of the natural lens, which causes it to become less elastic over time.  As we get older, the lens of the eye can get thicker and stiffer as a result of lost elasticity. As presbyopia is an age-related eye condition, it’s important for people to schedule regular appointments with their ophthalmologist.  This can ensure that any resulting vision problems are corrected with the following methods:

• Corrective glasses (including bifocal glasses and reading glasses)
• Corrective glasses that are appropriate for contact lenses
• Multifocal contact lenses

There are also surgical options to treat presbyopia; you and your ophthalmologist can decide if this is an appropriate treatment option for you.

To ensure that you successfully correct your presbyopia, you should schedule regular appointments with your ophthalmologist.  At the Center for Ophthalmology and Laser Surgery – serving the greater Fort Lauderdale, FL and surrounding Florida areas – Dr. Michael Loeffler and his staff members are dedicated to protecting your ocular health and correcting any vision problems you may have.  Schedule an appointment with Dr. Loeffler today to learn more about presbyopia and your treatment options. (954) 786-5353