Presbyopia (weak reading vision)

What causes presbyopia?

Presbyopia is an inevitable age-related process. It is a gradual hardening and loss of flexibility of the natural lens inside your eye.

These age-related changes occur within lens, making it less elastic over time. Age-related changes also take place in the muscle fibres surrounding the lens. With less elasticity, it gets increasingly difficult for the eyes to focus on close objects. 

In our early to mid 40’s, we can still manage to read by holding things further away and using brighter light – but this doesn’t last long.  Most people will need reading glasses (or progressive lenses) to read small print by their late 40’s and will probably need glasses for all tasks within arm’s length from age 50 and up. There is no current way of reversing the ageing process of the lens but there are several treatment options available:  

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Glasses and Contact lenses

Glasses of course can be prescribed by your optometrist for any age or stage of this process but will need to be updated regularly to maintain clear and comfortable reading vision.  Without these reading glasses, headaches, eyestrain and fatigue are very common. As the eyes age, distance vision can be affected as well so individuals often end up with 2 or even 3 different strengths of glasses, or have to use bifocal or graduated (progressive focus) glasses.

Contact lenses are an option, but it’s hard to see to put them in if you can’t see up close.  As we get older, dry eyes are also common and this can make wearing contact lenses difficult.

Vision Correction Procedures for Presbyopia

It’s currently not possible to restore flexibility to the natural lens but almost all people can take advantage of an option called Blended Vision

Blended Vision means that the eyesight is adjusted so that when the two eyes working together, they cover a greater range of focus than either eye could by itself.  The human brain and vision are incredibly adaptable and Blended Vision gives excellent freedom from glasses for most tasks and everyday life.

Blended Vision is the preferred option of most eye surgeons and their staff, for their own eyes after age 50.

Blended Vision can be achieved using Wavefront-Guided LASIK (W-G LASIK) or Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) to adjust one or both eyes.

The decision on which procedure is best for you will depend on how poor your vision is, your age and any other eye conditions you might have such as early cataracts.  As a general guide, WG-LASIK is better for 40-55 year olds with otherwise heathy eyes, and Refractive Lens Exchange is better for those over 55.

Refractive lens exchange can be used to insert Multifocal Lens implants that can give a good range of focus but compromise night-time driving and give less sharpness and contrast in many real life situations.  

A free assessment with our team is the best step to find out which is the best procedure for your eyes – either a Virtual Assessment over the phone or a comprehensive assessment with our team at Re:Vision.  We will discuss very carefully which options are a right match for you and the things you use your eyes for day to day. 

Presbyopia is a normal process and part of growing older

Presbyopia is a normal part of the aging process, and we’re all going to have to deal with it sometime after age 40. Whichever option you choose – eyeglasses, contact lenses or vision correction procedures, you’ll be able to easily read messages on your phone or a book to your granddaughter without any trouble.

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