Presbyopia

What Causes Presbyopia?

Presbyopia occurs when the lens of the eye gradually hardens and loses its flexibility, making it difficult to focus on close objects. Aging is the most common cause of presbyopia. The eye's lens continuously renews itself from birth, and this renewal process slows down with age.

The proteins in the lens harden and lose their elasticity over time, making it difficult for the lens to take the shape needed to focus on near objects.

Health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, certain rheumatic diseases, and cataracts can also accelerate the onset of presbyopia.

What Are the Symptoms of Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is an age-related eye condition. The lens of the eye gradually loses its elasticity and changes shape, weakening the ability to focus on close objects. This condition typically appears in people in their 40s and can cause various problems in daily life.

Symptoms of presbyopia progress over time and occur in both eyes. The more severe the symptoms, the more issues they cause in daily life. The most common symptoms of presbyopia include:

⬩Difficulty with activities that require close vision, such as reading books, newspapers, writing messages on the phone, or sewing.

⬩Eye fatigue, itching, stinging, and pain, especially after prolonged near work.

⬩Eye muscle strain and headaches due to difficulty focusing on close objects.

⬩Burning and watering eyes, especially when reading or using a computer.

⬩The need to hold text at arm's length to see it clearly.

⬩Difficulty seeing close objects clearly without adequate lighting.

How Is Presbyopia Diagnosed?

Presbyopia diagnosis can be made through a comprehensive eye exam. Your eye doctor may use the following tests to diagnose presbyopia:

⬩Visual acuity test, which requires you to read letters and images at various distances.

⬩Refractive error test to identify other vision problems such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism.

⬩Near vision test to evaluate how clearly you can see close objects.

Your eye doctor may perform special tests to assess how well your eye muscles focus and accommodate. They may also use a biomicroscope to evaluate the overall health of your eyes.

This can help check for other eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. If presbyopia is diagnosed, your doctor will discuss various treatment options with you.

Treatment for Presbyopia

Various options are available for presbyopia treatment to manage symptoms and improve vision quality. The most common treatment for presbyopia is the use of glasses. Reading glasses make it easier to focus on close objects.

Multifocal glasses can correct both near and distant vision. Specially designed contact lenses for presbyopia are also available. Bifocal or multifocal contact lenses can provide different focus points, similar to glasses.

Intraocular lenses can be bifocal or trifocal. Monofocal lenses focus on a single distance, while bifocal and trifocal lenses can focus on multiple distances. The best treatment for presbyopia depends on the patient's individual needs and lifestyle.

Your doctor will determine the most appropriate treatment by discussing the pros and cons of each option and conducting an eye exam.