Correction of presbyopic effect

Presbyopia means loss of the eye’s ability to accommodate; it is not loss of sight but natural physiological process connected with aging, just as wrinkles and hoariness.

Between 40 and 50 years of age every person starts to experience decreased visual acuity at close viewing distances. Many daily activities such as: reading, using a mobile phone or a computer slowly becomes more and more tedious. Myopic patients begin to feel an urge to take of their glasses while reading or looking at close objects. Those who has not suffered from any visual impairment before start to have problems with seeing close, and as presbyopia develops, also distant objects. Hyperopic people, on the other hand, begin to rediscover their defect in a full range – they may experience problems with both close and distant vision. In this case, presbyopia may intensify symptoms of hyperopia.

What are the solutions for correction of the presbyopic effect?

Most commonly chosen solution is glasses. For example, one can use two pairs of glasses – one for long distance viewing (while hyperopia and myopia occurs) and the second pair only for reading. Alternatively, an individually chosen multifocal glasses can be used. Such solution allows clear vision at both short and long distances.

Using two pairs of glasses interchangeably often turns out to be problematic, especially for those who follow active lifestyle. This is why the correction of the presbyopic effect with an excimer laser is possible. The effect of such surgery is so called monovision – the dominant eye becomes responsible for distant vision while the other is used for viewing close objects. In that case glasses become redundant. Laser vision correction aiming at achieving monovision corrects the effects of presbyopia, not the presbyopia itself (which is a natural, physiological process connected with intraocular lens), so after few years stronger glasses for reading may become prerequisite.

More about presbyopia is Here.