Presbyopia or Presbyopia: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and How to Correct It

It is a physiological visual condition in middle-aged people who can not focus on nearby objects.

Why does presbyopia occur?

Presbyopia occurs as a result of progressive weakness related to age. Accommodation is how the eye adapts to obtain a clear image of nearby objects (less than 6 meters away).

When a person focuses on a nearby object, the ciliary muscle of the eye contracts, which produces a change in the shape of the lens so that the light of the thing focuses on the retina instead of behind it.

At greater distances, no accommodation is required since light from distant objects focuses on the retina anyway (in people who do not have refractive errors).

Therefore, the adaptation process guarantees that a person has a clear vision at all distances.

In people older than 40 years, the lens becomes less flexible; therefore, its ability to change shape is reduced.

This rigidity of the lens increases progressively; therefore, the degree of presbyopia gradually increases until the age of 60, when there is a total loss of accommodation.

 

What are the signs and symptoms?

Presbyopia usually begins around age 40. However, many people develop symptoms even in their 30s.

People notice a growing difficulty in performing visual tasks nearby, especially at night.

They also notice that they can read or write if the material is kept farther from the eye than they are used to.

Attempts to perform visual tasks near average distances cause eye fatigue and headaches.

Initially, the difficulty is only reading objects at a distance. Still, as age advances, the problem is experienced even for intermediate-distance tasks: computer work, reading labels in stores, cooking, barbers, beauticians, and tailors.

Many people gradually avoid nearby tasks, and labor productivity can be affected for professionals.

People with myopia notice that they experience the above symptoms while wearing their glasses, but they feel incredibly comfortable with nearby tasks after removing their glasses. On the other hand, people with hyperopia have earlier symptoms than others without refractive errors.

How is it diagnosed?

Presbyopia is diagnosed by a simple eye examination that includes a vision test with an eye chart and refraction.

In addition, a complete routine eye exam is performed with a slit lamp and an examination of the retina after dilating the eyes.

When do you get premature presbyopia?

Presbyopia that occurs much earlier than expected is called premature presbyopia.

Causes include uncorrected hyperopia, malnutrition, trauma, excessive demands for near vision, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, myasthenia gravis, anemia, alcohol intake, surgical removal of the lens, and ingestion of medications such as antidepressants, antihistamines, and diuretics.

How do you correct presbyopia?

There are several ways to correct presbyopia. The most common and the most popular is the use of glasses. When using glasses, it must be remembered that the same power can not be used for far and near vision.

Presbyopia which does not have any refractive error requires a lens with more power only for near vision.

You can see well at a distance without any power. A person with myopia needs a lens with less energy for space and a different ability for the near one.

A hyperope (a person with hyperopia, commonly known as farsightedness) requires distance and extra power for closeness.

In other words, the near correction is the algebraic sum of the distance correction and the additional power.

In the early stages of presbyopia, people can see objects at an intermediate distance with distance correction; however, as age advances, they require a sentence slightly less than the reading power for the middle space.

The lenses for correction of presbyopia can be presented in different ways:

  • Single vision reading glasses: The power in the glasses is for tasks close to the whole objective. Therefore, while near vision is clear while wearing the drinks, the person would have to remove the glasses for distance vision.
  • Bifocals: Here, there is power for far vision at the top of the lens and near vision at the bottom (reading segment).
  • The reading segment can be curved, D-shaped, or rectangular, and the partition line is visible. Bifocals do not provide clear intermediate distance vision.
  • Progressive (progressive addition lens): Here is a gradual, continuous change of power from the top to the bottom