Presbyopia: What Is It and How Do You Treat It?
Presbyopia is an uncomfortable part of aging. It may even be more frustrating than other age-related changes. Many things like energy levels and flexibility can be maintained with a change in your lifestyle by eating better and getting more exercise. But presbyopia, also known as vision over 40, is unavoidable even if you’ve never had issues with your vision.
But what exactly is presbyopia? Presbyopia is an issue with your near vision, although it should not be confused with refractive errors. Refractive errors can be caused by any number of things including environmental and genetic factors. On the other hand, presbyopia has to do with age and a hardening of the eye’s lens, which leads to its reduced flexibility. This makes it difficult for the lens to focus and for the eye to see things up close. Even if you already have prescription lenses, they are usually ineffective for dealing with presbyopia.
If you’ve recently started having trouble seeing up close, need to hold items at arm’s length in order to view them clearly, or have been experiencing eyestrain or headaches, you may have presbyopia.
Treatment Options for Presbyopia Presbyopia is an easily addressed vision problem. Individuals who are diagnosed with presbyopia have three treatment options available to them.
Eyeglasses
If you have no other refractive errors to correct like myopia or astigmatism, the reading glasses you can buy at your local drugstore work just fine. You do not need a prescription to buy these kinds of eyeglasses meaning treatment is as simple as finding a pair of frames you like. And unlike prescription lenses, these are much cheaper!
On the other hand, if you do have a preexisting refractive error that you are already correcting with prescription lenses, and you want to address your presbyopia with glasses, you will need to buy a pair of bifocal lenses. As the name suggests, bifocals are targeting two different issues. The main part of the lens will correct for distance vision while the lower part of the lens will correct for near vision, allowing you to read a text message or a receipt without holding it at arm’s length.
Contact Lenses
It may sound bizarre, but you can also address your presbyopia with contact lenses. Of course, this only makes sense if you are correcting other vision problems as well. It would be rather uncomfortable to regularly wear contact lenses just for when you have to read something up close. For those who are only dealing with presbyopia, a pair of reading glasses from the drug store should do just fine.
For those who have to correct for their distance vision as well, multifocal contact lenses are an option they can discuss with their doctor. There are also contact lenses where each eye has a different prescription – one eye deals with distance vision and the other deals with near vision. It should be noted, however, that there are complaints of issues with depth perception with this option. In any case, discuss potential options and side effects with your doctor to find the best presbyopia treatment for you.
KAMRA Inlays
Of course, some people may not want to have to deal with the hassle of glasses and contacts at all, in which case KAMRA Inlays may be the ideal choice for them. The KAMRA Inlay is only implanted in one eye. It is a tiny device, shaped like a ring, that controls the light that enters the eye and prevents the blurriness associated with presbyopia. The KAMRA Inlay is thinner than a contact lens and can help you get back to how things were before presbyopia started affecting your life. No glasses, no hassle, just clear vision!
There are a number of treatment options for presbyopia, and KAMRA Inlays are one way you can bypass the extra hardware. Book your free KAMRA consultation today at Katzen Eye to speak with one of our specialists. We have offices in Lutherville, Baltimore, and Rosedale. Give us a call today.
