Visit your Ann Arbor, MI Optometrist to Learn More About Treatment Options
Presbyopia is a visual impairment that comes with age in which near vision becomes significantly diminished. As people worldwide are reaching older ages, more and more people develop the condition, which is an unavoidable result of your aging eye.
Many believe that presbyopia is caused because the eye will sometimes harden around age 40, making it more difficult for the eyes to focus in on an object, especially an object close by. Sufferers often deal with the situation by holding the paper far away or standing at a distance from the object they are looking at. Shifting from looking at distant things to closer ones can often be strenuous for those with presbyopia. The tension might add further discomfort resulting in eye strain, fatigues or headaches.
Most commonly bifocals or progressive addition lenses (PALs) are worn to deal with this condition. A bifocal lens is divided into two prescriptions for vision, one is for distance vision and the lower portion of the lens is for seeing objects nearby. PALs use the same principal as bifocals, but the transitions between the two prescriptions are more gradual. Users will more easily shift their focus, as they would having normal eyesight. An alternative would be reading glasses which, unlike bifocals or PALs which are worn all day, are used only as needed.
If contacts are preferable, you might want to consider multifocal lenses. It may take a while to determine the best method and type of contact lenses due to the fact that different lenses can cause discomfort or blurriness.
In addition, there are surgical options that could be considered that should be discussed with your eye doctor. Many patients find the most success by combining treatments for presbyopia. Furthermore, since presbyopia will continue to get worse with age, you will probably be required to continually adjust your correction. With the population growing older, there continues to be quite a bit of experimental treatment on the market currently to discover other effective solutions for patients with presbyopia.
Seeing symptoms of presbyopia? Call for a check up with your Ann Arbor, MI optometrist. A return to normal vision is just a call away!
