Understanding Presbyopia
Most people recognize that eyesight gets worse with age, but few know the precise reason for that change. The usual cause is a condition known as presbyopia. In this article, we’ll discuss what presbyopia is and how it’s treated:
What Is Presbyopia?
Presbyopia is an ocular condition that refers to the aging eye’s inability to focus on items that are nearby. Presbyopia is considered a different type of condition than hyperopia, or farsightedness, because hyperopia can happen at any point in a person’s life, while presbyopia is a direct result of aging. Just as a person’s skin loses elasticity with age, so do the lenses in the eyes. The resulting loss of the lenses’ ability to quickly snap back and forth in order to focus on objects at different distances is classified as presbyopia.
What Are my Treatment Options?
There is nothing you can do to avoid developing presbyopia—it is a side effect of aging, and everyone will develop it to some degree or another. Fortunately, there are numerous corrective measures that can be taken.
If your vision is otherwise fine, then the easiest solution is usually a pair of reading glasses. Yet if you have other problems with your vision or find reading glasses impractical, there are numerous other options. Bifocals help many people, and can come in the form of either glasses or contacts.
In some cases, the best solution is to wear one contact for distance vision and another for close work, or to have each eye corrected in this fashion using LASIK surgery. Conductive keratoplasty, a surgical procedure that uses radio waves instead of lasers, is also an option. Be sure to discuss the issue with your eye doctor, as there are many new treatment options available.
If you’ve been diagnosed with presbyopia or think that you may have the condition, contact Ellis Eye & Laser Medical Center. Our experienced doctors perform a variety of vision-correcting procedures, from cataract surgery to LASIK. For more information about the cost of LASIK in either San Francisco or Sacramento, call (888) 690-9689 today.
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