Visit your Winston Salem, NC Eye Doctor to Find Out About Treatment Options
Presbyopia is an age-related condition in which the ability to view things at close range becomes significantly reduced. As people worldwide are reaching older ages, a larger number of people develop the condition, which currently cannot be escaped.
Theories about the cause of presbyopia are that the eyes' lenses will begin to thicken around the age of 40, making it harder for eyes to focus on something, particularly something close by. Those with the condition often cope with the reduced vision by holding the paper far away or standing back from the object they want to focus on. Shifting from focusing on far away things to closer ones can often be strenuous for those with presbyopia. The strain could worsen the situation resulting in headaches, eye strain or fatigue.
Most commonly bifocals or progressive addition lenses (PALs) are used to resolve presbyopia. A bifocal lens is divided into two points of focus, the main part of the lens has a prescription for distance vision and the lower portion of the lens is for focusing on things nearby. Progressive lenses are similar to bifocal lenses, but they have a more subtle transition between the separate prescriptions and have no visible distinction between them. Users will more easily shift their focus, as they could if they had uninhibited sight. Another option is reading glasses which are usually worn just when needed as opposed to all day.
Presbyopes can also opt for multifocal contact lenses or monovision lens correction (when one eye is prescribed a correction for distance vision and the other near vision) to improve their vision impairment. Multifocals aren't suitable for everyone and can sometimes be uncomfortable, so it may take a while to figure out if and in what combination they work for you.
Furthermore, there are options for other procedures including surgery available that you may want to discuss with your eye doctor. A significant number of people are most successful combining options for presbyopia. Additionally, because your eyesight will likely worsen as you age, it is likely that you will be required to continually adjust the strength of your correction. With the population growing older, there continues to be quite a bit of experimental treatment on the market currently to identify additional and perhaps more permanent solutions for patients with presbyopia.
If you are starting to see signs of presbyopia, call for a check up with your Winston Salem, NC optometrist. A return to normal vision is only a phone call away!
