Visit your Tucson, AZ Optometrist to Learn More About Treatment Options
Presbyopia is an age-related condition in which objects at a close range, such as newspapers, books or sewing, become blurred. As people around the world are living longer a significant number of people develop presbyopia, which currently cannot be avoided.
Many believe that presbyopia is caused because the eye will sometimes toughen by age 40, making it harder for the eyes to focus in on an object, particularly something nearby. Sufferers often manage with near visual impairment by holding a book far away or standing at a distance from the object they want to focus on. Shifting from focusing on distant things to nearer ones is often tiring for those with presbyopia. This strain could add to one's discomfort by causing headaches, eye strain or fatigue.
Most often bifocal lenses or progressives (PALs) are worn to correct presbyopia. Bifocal lenses are 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 looking at objects that are close by. Progressive addition lenses are similar to bifocal lenses, however they provide a more subtle gradient between the separate prescriptions and have no visible line between them. Wearers will more easily change focus, as they could having standard vision. An alternative would be reading glasses which are usually worn just when needed as opposed to all day.
If contacts are preferable, there are other alternatives such as multifocal contacts. Multifocals aren't suitable for everyone and can sometimes cause discomfort or vision difficulties, so it may take some time to figure out if and in what combination they work for you.
Furthermore, there are surgical options that could be considered that may be worth discussing with your eye doctor. Many people are most successful using a combination of treatments for presbyopia. Furthermore, since your eyesight will likely worsen with age, you will probably need to keep adapting your correction. With the population growing older, there is quite a bit of experimental treatment on the market currently to discover additional and perhaps more permanent treatments for presbyopia.
If you are beginning to notice symptoms of presbyopia, book a check up with your Tucson, AZ eye doctor. A return to normal eyesight is worth it!