What Does Having Presbyopia Mean?

Posted on: 08/18/23

As you age, many changes happen in your body, including your eyes. One thing that you may have noticed is a change in your near vision.

Difficulty seeing things up close, like when reading a book or a menu, is a common and often age-related complaint. This is often due to a condition called presbyopia.

Keep reading to learn what having presbyopia means!

What is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is age-related blurry near vision. Individuals with presbyopia find it hard to focus on objects that are positioned closer to the eyes.

It’s a condition that develops so slowly you may not realize you have it at first. Presbyopia is a normal outcome of aging, much like wrinkles on your skin or joint pain when you squat or climb stairs. 

For most adults, it begins in their forties. An estimated one hundred and twenty-eight million American adults live with presbyopia.

You may experience headaches or eye strain after doing close work over a period of time. Reading can often become difficult.

What Causes Presbyopia?

Just like other organs in the body, aging affects your eyes. Presbyopia occurs when the natural lens inside your eyes becomes harder and less flexible. 

This reduced flexibility makes focusing, especially in low-light situations, that much harder. The result is that it becomes more difficult to see up close.

You’ll notice that blurriness makes it hard to read in dim light or see words on a page or computer tablet unless they’re enlarged. You may have to hold reading material at just the right spot to be able to see it clearly. 

What’s Premature Presbyopia?

Presbyopia can develop in individuals younger than forty. That condition is called premature presbyopia. 

Diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or cardiovascular conditions can increase the risk of premature presbyopia. Certain drugs, such as antidepressants, antihistamines, and diuretics, can also increase your risk.

How is Presbyopia Diagnosed?

An eye exam that includes a refraction assessment and an evaluation of eye health can diagnose presbyopia. Using various instruments, your eye doctor at Cutarelli Vision will test your distance and close-up vision. 

You’ll be given eyedrops to dilate your pupils, which will allow your eye doctor to see inside your eyes. Since the drops will make your vision blurry and your eyes sensitive to light, make sure to bring sunglasses with you to your appointment.

How Can You Correct Presbyopia? 

Correcting your near vision is the goal of treatment so you can continue to enjoy close-up work such as reading, sewing, knitting, crocheting, needlework, model-building, or other similar activities. Corrective glasses, similar to what you’d wear to correct near-sightedness, are typically prescribed. 

Contact lenses and over-the-counter reading glasses can also correct near-vision blurriness.

Does Cataract Surgery Correct Presbyopia?

Cataract surgery replaces the cloudy aging lens of the eye with an IOL, an artificial intraocular lens, which is implanted in the eye. Many people choose a monofocal or single-focus lens.

However, this lens will allow clear distance viewing but will correct close-up vision without glasses. For those individuals who want clear distance and intermediate vision and desire functional close vision, a premium multifocal IOL can make focusing easier in all the above ranges.

Do you think you may be experiencing vision changes related to presbyopia? Schedule an appointment at Cutarelli Vision in Colorado Springs, CO, today!