Presbyopia is a natural part of the aging process of the eye and usually occurs beginning at the age of 40 years old. This is when the natural lens of the eye begins to lose its elasticity and flexibility, becoming stiffer, resulting in the loss of the eye’s ability to focus on nearby objects. Certain activities such as reading, sewing or working at the computer become more difficult.
Presbyopia - Causes
As your eyes age, the muscle fibres surrounding its lens slowly loses its flexibility and hardens. This stiffening means that your lens loses its ability to alter its shape and constrict to focus on images that are nearby.
Presbyopia - Symptoms
The most typical symptom of nearsightedness involves a gradual deterioration in your ability to do any work up close including reading, sewing or working on your computer. The symptoms include:
- Eyestrain/Headaches after doing close work
- Difficulty reading small print
- Having to hold material at an arm’s distance to focus properly
- Blurred vision at a normal reading distance
- Difficulty reading in low light
- Eye fatigue
Presbyopia - Diagnosis
Our eye care specialists will be able to diagnose presbyopia through a general eye examination, including measurements to determine a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses. Such tests may include:
- Retinal examination
- Refraction test
- Slit-lamp test
- Visual acuity test
Presbyopia - Treatment Options
While presbyopia cannot be cured, it can be very successfully treated. Some of the treatment options we offer at our Lethbridge eye clinic include:
- Reading glasses
- Bifocal glasses
- Trifocal glasses
- Progressive lenses
- Contact lenses
For patients who have other ocular problems including myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism, the complications of presbyopia may be more severe and as such, these patients may require a combination of treatments to correct their vision.
Our Lethbridge optometrists can help you decide on the treatment solutions best suited for you and your needs.
