Tackling Presbyopia

Contact your Toms River, NJ Eye Doctor to Learn More About Treatment Options

Many adults eventually begin to see signs of presbyopia or an impaired ability to focus on objects at a close range, as they age. As people around the world are reaching older ages, more and more people are developing presbyopia, which currently cannot be escaped.

Many believe that presbyopia is caused because the human eye will sometimes harden by the age of forty, making it harder for the eyes to focus in on an object, especially something nearby. Sufferers usually deal with the situation by holding a book away from their eyes or standing at a distance from the object they want to focus on. Transitions from focusing on far off things to closer ones can often be strenuous for those with presbyopia. This stress might add further discomfort by causing eye strain, fatigues or headaches.

Most often bifocals or progressive addition lenses (PALs) are worn to deal with this issue. A bifocal lens is separated into two prescriptions for vision, one is for distance vision and a second, lower portion for looking at things nearby. Progressive addition lenses use the same principal as bifocals, however the transitions between the two prescriptions are more gradual. Wearers can more easily shift visual focus, as they would having standard vision. An alternative would be reading glasses which, unlike bifocals or PALs which are worn all day, are used only as needed.

If contact lenses are preferred over glasses, there are other options such as multifocal lenses. It may take some time to decide upon the optimal method and type of contact lenses due to the fact that different prescriptions can affect your comfort or distance vision.

There are also options for other procedures including surgery that could be considered that should be talked over with your eye doctor. A lot of patients are most successful combining options for presbyopia. Also, because your vision will likely worsen with age, it is likely that you will need to continually adjust your prescription. The good news is, there continues to be a significant amount of experimental treatment on the market currently to discover other effective solutions for the growing number of people dealing with presbyopia.

Noticing signs of presbyopia? Schedule an appointment with your Toms River, NJ eye doctor. A return to normal eyesight can be yours!

 
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