Presbyopia (Age-related Farsightedness)

What is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is a condition similar to farsightedness that affects all of us as we start to age. Starting from around the time you turn 40, you may start to notice you have more difficulty focusing on nearby objects. A lot of us are probably familiar with the cliche of older people needing to hold menus, novels and newspapers further away from their face in order to read them. While this might be a cliche, it’s also a pretty clear sign that presbyopia, meaning literally “old sight” in Greek, is starting to affect your eyes.

If you have noticed your arms stretching to comfortably read things or view objects close up that used to be easier to see, don’t worry! You’re not alone. All of us will experience presbyopia, as it’s the unavoidable product of ageing eyes. While all of us will go through some symptoms of presbyopia, there are plenty of ways to treat and correct this condition, saving your arms and your eyesight in the process. Let’s break down what causes this condition, how you can tell whether presbyopia is affecting your vision, and what to do about it if it is.

How does this eye condition affect my vision?

Near distance tasks such as reading, sewing or any other related activity that requires the focus on minor details becomes difficult. For example, while holding a newspaper, the distance between your eyes and the newspaper increases in order to adjust the focus for clearer vision. The far distance vision isn’t affected in presbyopia. The difficulty in closer vision tasks often results in tiredness, headaches etc.

What causes presbyopia

Presbyopia basically occurs with age. All eyesight relies on our eyes refracting light through our eye’s cornea and lens in order to produce an image that our brains recognise. Your eye lens is curved, and can contract or expand thanks to the surrounding muscles in the eye’s structure in order to focus on things at a range of distances.

Just like the rest of our muscles, this circular eye muscle becomes less elastic and flexible over time, making it harder to constrict the lens and focus on things in the foreground. As this constricting movement gets less powerful over time, our ability to focus on small lettering and nearby objects diminishes.

Presbyopia is generally considered normal in terms of age as it is a very similar concept like greying hair or stiffening of joints. As every person experiences ageing, the occurrence of presbyopia cannot really be prevented.

 Symptoms of presbyopia

If you’re not sure whether your eye troubles are being caused by presbyopia, here are the symptoms to check for:

• Holding objects and reading material further away to make out the letters.
• Experiencing blurred vision at your normal reading distance
• Getting headaches or feeling eye strain after extended period of reading, sewing, or other close up work

The symptoms of presbyopia can start anywhere from around the age of 40, and progressively worsen up until your 60s. While the condition is frustrating and should be corrected as quickly as possible, it should be noted that presbyopia isn’t painful. If you’re experiencing any pain associated with your eyes, it’s time to put aside that fear of an eye exam and see your optometrist immediately in order to get a proper diagnosis.

Merely having trouble focusing on objects close up isn’t a sure fire sign that someone has presbyopia either. Other conditions, like hyperopia (also known as farsightedness or longsightedness) is a possibility, and the symptoms can present in quite a similar way. Astigmatism is another condition that can affect ageing eyes, so it’s important to consult a health professional to make sure you have the right diagnosis and therefore effective treatment.

Does presbyopia only affect older people?

In general, presbyopia is caused by the effects of ageing on the eye, and so it doesn’t start to affect people until around the age of 40. If you’re significantly younger than this and have started to notice your ability to focus on nearby objects is getting worse, it’s a great idea to book an eye test as soon as possible. If you are over the age of 40 and think you match the symptoms of presbyopia, a Medicare covered eye test will allow you to confirm this, and get the corrective eyewear you need.

Can you prevent or treat presbyopia?

Unfortunately, there’s no prevention for presbyopia. Avoiding too many hours in front of blue light screens, reading in sufficient light to avoid eye strain, wearing protective sunglasses and using prescription glasses if you need them are all good ways to promote eye health throughout your life. Sooner or later however, all of our eyes will start to experience the signs of ageing – that’s just the way it is.

With that being said, there are plenty of treatments to help ease the effects of presbyopia, especially if you have a severe case or have started to notice the effects quite early on. Not all treatments are right for everyone, but talking through your individual circumstances with an optometrist will help you to decide which course of action might be right for you.

• Eye glasses for presbyopia
  Reading glasses are perhaps the most simple solution for presbyopia. These help to correct the faulty muscle in the eye and make reading a simple task. For those who already have a prescription for everyday vision, bi-focals or multifocals are also an option. These glasses have two prescriptions within the one lens, allowing you to view objects at both a distance and up close. Brands like Hoya and Essilor have well designed multi-focal lenses that suit your needs based on your lifestyle and glasses’ use. Of course, remembering to bring your ‘readers’ out with you in case you need to read things in public can be a hassle, but there are other more convenient options.  
• Contact lenses
  While contact lenses aren’t right for everyone (they often don’t suit individuals with dry eyes, tear duct issues or sensitivity), they make a convenient and seamless solution for presbyopia. Contact lenses can be made with monovision, bi-focal vision or even a different prescription in each eye to assist with everyday better vision. Because you put them in at the beginning of each day and leave them in, they’re a good alternative to having to remember to bring your glasses out, and often suit people still working full time.
• Presbyopia surgery
  If presbyopia is holding you back from enjoying an active lifestyle, another option can be LASIK eye surgery. Much like monovision contact lenses, this surgical procedure can subtly alter your cornea to give you one eye that can focus on close up objects, and another for distance vision. You can still use both eyes for either reading or looking out at the view, but struggling with blurred vision and headaches is no longer a problem.

Does presbyopia indicate that my eyes are deteriorating?

False. Even though the close focus doesn’t function well, it can always be corrected with the help of prescription glasses as mentioned above. These glasses will enable you to see the same way as before. The occurrence of presbyopia does not indicate any deterioration to your ocular health.

In case of presbyopia, when should I renew my prescription?

The prescription details generally change in a significant manner between the ages 45 and 65 years. However, it is essential to have an eye test at least in every two years in order to be updated with your eye health. Should you face any issues with your vision within two to three years of your last eye test, you should immediately book an appointment with an optometrist as this will enable you to be aware of any eye condition or disorder as soon as possible for further correction/treatment.

Will my eyes get weaker upon wearing prescription glasses?

Wearing prescription glasses do not weaken the eyes nor does presbyopia discontinue. It won’t accelerate nor decrease due to prescription spectacles.

What to do if you think you're affected

So, you’ve ticked off the list of symptoms, and you think you’re experiencing the effects of presbyopia. What comes next? Well, no matter how certain you are, an eye test and consultation with your optometrist is always going to be your next step. Not only will a professional be able to give you a conclusive diagnosis, they can work with you to weigh up lifestyle factors, other eyesight issues and your preferences in order to help you effectively treat your presbyopia.

At 1001 Optometry, our friendly and experienced optometrists are well-versed in correcting presbyopia and getting your life back on track. From helping you prepare for your eye test to walking you through your options regarding health insurance coverage and claims, our team can assist with it all. Chat to us today about getting your vision clear again, for good.