Presbyopia (age-related farsightedness)

Presbyopia, the age-related farsightedness, is the eyes condition when the vision for near objects is deteriorating causing difficulties when reading small prints, especially at poor light and doing any job near-hand.

The causes of presbyopia:

A human being thanks to the crystalline lens ability to change the focal distance (accommodation) can see objects at different distances – both far and near. With age the crystalline lens tend to sclerose and loses elasticity, therefore the ability to increase flexion to see the objects close to eyes is deteriorating and the eyes accommodation capacity is impared.
Moreover the muscles holding the crystalline lens become weaker with age as well. Therefore when the end-lobes responsible for vision send signals to the eye muscles, the latter are not capable any more to change the crystalline lens shape to focus images of the near objects on the retina. As a result, the person see blurred and unclear objects.

Presbyopia symptoms:

• Blurred vision;
• Difficulties in seeing objects near-by;
• Difficulties in reading and writing: small prints are soft and fading;
• When working with small objects the items have to be moved far from eyes;
• Frequent headaches;
• Eye fatigue;

Risk groups

Presbyopia (age related hyperopia) is unfortunately a problem for everyone and it happens sooner or later even to those who has had perfect vision the whole life.
Presbyopia is irreversible and the speed of progression differ a lot. Long-sighted people tend to develop presbyopia earlier than others.

Ways of presbyopia (age-related hyperopia) correction

Presbyopia correction methods depend on both the condition of the visual system and the patient’s age, profession and way of life.

Optical correction

Those who have problems seeing near objects but see far ok, can be easily recommended to use reading spectacles. It is probably the easiest and affordable ways of age-related farsightedness correction available today. But if somebody is near-sighted as well, the problem is persistent for far and near. In such cases one has to go for bi-focal spectacles, fitted with two focus zones: one for far-sight correction and the other for near-sight correction. Another option is to have two pairs of spectacles for different distances…

Contact correction

Modern ophthalmology offers presbyopic patients the following methods of contact correction:
Multifocal contact lenses, which have become popular of late have periphery and central zone, and they are responsible for the clear vision. This type of lens allows to improve the vision field without distortions, and the innovation material it is made of allows eyes to breathe. Those who wear such lenses do not need spectacles neither for far, nor for near.
In case of mono-vision contact correction one eye is corrected for near and the other is for far, thus there is no need for spectacles. But this way of correction demands getting used to it and has a serious drawback which is the fcat that binocular vision is out of the question.

Surgical treatment

The drastic way of presbyopia correction is a surgery replacing the crystalline lens that has lost elasticity with an intra-ocular lens. This treatment is performed in a one-day-mode and takes only 15 to 20 minutes under local eye-drop anesthesia. The ophthalmic surgeon replaces the natural lens with an IOL through a self-sealing micro-incision of 1,6 mm. This procedure does not require any suturing. Multifocal and accommodating lenses are used nowadays for the surgery.
Multifocal intraocular lenses have a special optical design, which simulates operation of a natural lens. Having several focus distances the multifocal lens allows to see well objects at different distances. After the implantation of such a lens one can forget about spectacles or contact lenses for reading, writing or manipulating small items,
Accommodating lens have a special optical design, which simulates operation of a natural lens. Having several focus distances the multifocal lens allows to see well objects at different distances. After the implantation of such a lens one can forget about spectacles or contact lenses for reading, writing or manipulating small items,

The optical power of the artificial lens is selected individually for each patient, taking into account the condition of the visual system, age, occupation and other vital factors. Surgical treatment of presbyopia (age-related hyperopia) is also a cataract prevention since the intraocular lens (artificial lens) will not get clouded.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION!

• Too often when first sign of visual problems show up people consider them as minor thing connected with age or fatigue and then they run hazards of eye health. After 50 the body is getting “worn” and prone to various deceases. Vision deterioration may symptom not only presbyopia (age-related hyperopia) but also cataract or retinal disorders, or such endocrine decease as diabetes mellitus. Therefore it is very important to see an ophthalmologist and a physician regularly, and have necessary checks and test.
• Spectacles should be prescribed after accurate and precise diagnostics and consultations with an ophthalmologist. And it is so important as well to buy spectacles only at specialized opticians shops, rather from general stores or somewhere else. Spectacles are sophisticated gadgets and besides power other important parameters seriously affecting vision quality should be followed precisely during production.