Understanding presbyopia: symptoms, causes and treatments

What is presbyopia?

Presbyopia is the gradual loss of the eye's ability to focus on close objects due to the stiffening of the crystalline lens inside the eye. This lens, flexible in youth, becomes rigid over time, making it harder for the eye muscles to adjust its shape and focus. This condition, known as accommodation, deteriorates with age, resulting in blurred near vision.

Symptoms of presbyopia

Presbyopia symptoms often become noticeable when reading or doing close-up work. Key symptoms include:

• Needing to hold reading material further away to see clearly
• Eye strain or headaches after prolonged reading
• Fluctuating focus and headaches worsening throughout the day
• Difficulty reading in low light conditions, typically more noticeable in winter

Causes of presbyopia

Presbyopia is distinct from hypermetropia (long-sightedness). While long-sightedness is a refractive error affecting overall vision clarity, presbyopia specifically impairs near vision. This condition results from the natural ageing process, where the lens loses its flexibility and ability to focus light accurately on the retina for close-up tasks.

Treatment options for presbyopia

With the increasing need for near vision tasks, such as reading on digital devices, managing presbyopia has become essential. At OCL Vision, we offer several advanced treatment options:

1. Laser eye surgery: Monovision or Presbymax
• Monovision: This approach corrects one eye for distance vision (usually the dominant eye) and the other for near vision, providing a good range of functional vision without glasses.
• Presbymax: An advanced version of monovision, presbymax enhances the depth of focus through precise adjustments, offering improved near and distance vision.
  
  
2. Clear lens extraction or lens replacement surgery
• This procedure, similar to cataract surgery, involves replacing the stiff natural lens with a trifocal or extended depth of focus lens implant. This allows for clear vision at all distances, reducing or eliminating the need for glasses.

Find out more about vision correction procedures here.

FAQs About presbyopia

What is the difference between presbyopia and long-sightedness?

Presbyopia is age-related and specifically affects near vision, whereas long-sightedness is a refractive error affecting overall vision clarity.

Can presbyopia be cured?

While there is no cure for presbyopia, treatments like laser eye surgery and lens replacement can effectively manage the condition and restore near vision.

Will I still need reading glasses after treatment?

Many people find they no longer need reading glasses after treatments like Presbymax or Refractive Lens Exchange, though this depends on individual conditions and treatment outcomes.

How long does presbyopia surgery take?

Both laser eye surgery and lens replacement are relatively quick procedures, often completed in under an hour, with rapid recovery times.

Conclusion

If you’re experiencing symptoms of presbyopia, such as difficulty reading or frequent headaches, contact OCL Vision to discuss potential treatment options and book your free initial consultation.