presbyopia

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Presbyopia Q. What is presbyopia? A. Presbyopia is a common condition which makes vision difficult at a person's normal reading distance. It is not a disease. Q. How will presbyopia affect my vision? A. Close tasks such as reading and sewing become difficult particularly under poor lighting conditions. For example you may find that you are holding your newspaper further away from your eyes to make the print clearer. Some people feel that their " arms aren't long enough anymore". Presbyopia does not affect distance vision. Q. Are there any other effects of presbyopia? A. You may have difficulty concentrating when reading, or you may find sore eyes, headaches or tiredness result from periods of close work. Q. What causes presbyopia? A. It is important to understand how your eyes change their focus for viewing close objects. Normally they are focused for distance vision. Inside the eye there is a lens about the size of a pea. To focus on close objects, a special muscle in the eye changes the shape of this lens. This process is called accommodation. With age the lens loses its flexibility and is less able to change its shape. This is a completely normal ageing change, just like stiffening joints or greying hair. The loss in lens flexibility is the reason that close focusing becomes more difficult. Q. Who is likely to become presbyopic? A. Everyone experiences the ageing process which causes presbyopia. There is no prevention for the condition. Q. Does presbyopia come on quickly? A. No. Presbyopia is usually first noticed, with some variation, around the age of 40 to 45 years. Although difficulties with close work may seem to come on suddenly, the ageing process behind presbyopia is a gradual one which has been going on since childhood. Between the ages of 45 and 65 the amount of presbyopia increases, making near work more and more difficult. From 65 years onwards, however, there are unlikely to be any further significant changes to vision due to presbyopia. Q. How is presbyopia treated? A. Presbyopia is corrected by a spectacle prescription designed especially for close distances, for example in the form of reading glasses. It is important that the prescription is calculated for the distance at which you do your close tasks. It is not possible to treat presbyopia by surgery. Through discussion with your optometrist you will be able to decide which is the best way of preparing your prescription. The correction for presbyopia will make near objects clear but distant ones blurry. This means that if you have a pair of spectacles simply for reading you shall not be able to drive or watch television while wearing them. Having different prescriptions for distance and reading can make life difficult, especially if you have to change spectacles all the time. One way around the problem is the use of bifocals. These are special lenses which have a prescription for distance vision in the top half of the lens and the prescription for near vision (reading) in the lower half. Another form of spectacles used to correct presbyopia are "lookovers", or half eyes. Other alternatives include the use of trifocals, multifocals and special contact lenses. Q. Does presbyopia mean that my eyes are deteriorating? A. Not really. Although your close focusing system is not functioning as well as it used to, once the presbyopia has been corrected (by spectacles) you will be seeing things close up just as well as you always did. Presbyopic does not represent a threat to your eyes health. Q. When should I have my prescription for presbyopia renewed? A.Between the ages of 45 and 65 your prescription is likely to change significantly. It is sensible to have your eyes examined every two years, not only to review your correction but also your general eye health.

Presbyopia

Q. What is presbyopia?
A. Presbyopia is a common condition which makes vision difficult at a person's normal reading distance. It is not a disease.

Q. How will presbyopia affect my vision?
A. Close tasks such as reading and sewing become difficult particularly under poor lighting conditions. For example you may find that you are holding your newspaper further away from your eyes to make the print clearer. Some people feel that their " arms aren't long enough anymore". Presbyopia does not affect distance vision.

Q. Are there any other effects of presbyopia?
A. You may have difficulty concentrating when reading, or you may find sore eyes, headaches or tiredness result from periods of close work.

Q. What causes presbyopia?
A. It is important to understand how your eyes change their focus for viewing close objects. Normally they are focused for distance vision. Inside the eye there is a lens about the size of a pea. To focus on close objects, a special muscle in the eye changes the shape of this lens. This process is called accommodation. With age the lens loses its flexibility and is less able to change its shape. This is a completely normal ageing change, just like stiffening joints or greying hair. The loss in lens flexibility is the reason that close focusing becomes more difficult.

Q. Who is likely to become presbyopic?
A. Everyone experiences the ageing process which causes presbyopia. There is no prevention for the condition.

Q. Does presbyopia come on quickly?
A. No. Presbyopia is usually first noticed, with some variation, around the age of 40 to 45 years. Although difficulties with close work may seem to come on suddenly, the ageing process behind presbyopia is a gradual one which has been going on since childhood. Between the ages of 45 and 65 the amount of presbyopia increases, making near work more and more difficult. From 65 years onwards, however, there are unlikely to be any further significant changes to vision due to presbyopia.

Q. How is presbyopia treated?
A. Presbyopia is corrected by a spectacle prescription designed especially for close distances, for example in the form of reading glasses. It is important that the prescription is calculated for the distance at which you do your close tasks. It is not possible to treat presbyopia by surgery. Through discussion with your optometrist you will be able to decide which is the best way of preparing your prescription. The correction for presbyopia will make near objects clear but distant ones blurry. This means that if you have a pair of spectacles simply for reading you shall not be able to drive or watch television while wearing them.

Having different prescriptions for distance and reading can make life difficult, especially if you have to change spectacles all the time. One way around the problem is the use of bifocals. These are special lenses which have a prescription for distance vision in the top half of the lens and the prescription for near vision (reading) in the lower half. Another form of spectacles used to correct presbyopia are "lookovers", or half eyes. Other alternatives include the use of trifocals, multifocals and special contact lenses.

Q. Does presbyopia mean that my eyes are deteriorating?
A. Not really. Although your close focusing system is not functioning as well as it used to, once the presbyopia has been corrected (by spectacles) you will be seeing things close up just as well as you always did. Presbyopic does not represent a threat to your eyes health.

Q. When should I have my prescription for presbyopia renewed?
A.Between the ages of 45 and 65 your prescription is likely to change significantly. It is sensible to have your eyes examined every two years, not only to review your correction but also your general eye health.