September is Healthy Aging Month! As you age, your risk of vision loss increases. By staying informed on the vision conditions you are at risk for, you can be better prepared to prevent them, catch their symptoms, and know the steps for treating them!
In this post, we’ll focus on presbyopia. Check out our Facebook and Instagram for information about other age-related conditions, including glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.
Presbyopia (age-related farsightedness) is the gradual loss of ability to see things clearly up close. It is a normal part of aging, and will affect nearly everyone eventually. It typically becomes noticeable after age 40, with symptoms gradually worsening until around age 65.
The lens of your eye is soft and flexible when you are young. This softness makes it easy for the lens to change shape when needed to let light in, allowing you to see clearly at both close distances and far away. As you age, the lens becomes more rigid, which makes it more difficult to see up close.
Presbyopia Symptoms
Symptoms of presbyopia to look out for include:
difficulty seeing things up close
needing to hold reading material farther and farther away in order to see it clearly
vision becoming blurry
headaches and/or eyestrain after reading
When symptoms of presbyopia first start, you may notice you can just hold reading material a bit farther away. As time progresses, it’s likely that doing so will not help as much as it used to.
Age is the primary risk factor for presbyopia, but a few other things can put you at a higher risk for developing symptoms earlier. Certain medications, including antidepressants, antihistamines, and diuretics are associated with premature presbyopia symptoms. Additionally, other medical conditions including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and cardiovascular diseases can increase your risk.
Presbyopia cannot be prevented or reversed - however, there are ways to manage the condition and make it easier to live with.
Managing Presbyopia
Glasses are the most common way to manage presbyopia. Many people use reading glasses to correct their vision, but some may need a prescription. Contacts are another common option - and you can choose from two different types. Monovision contacts correct one eye for close-up vision and the other for distance, while multifocal contacts have several ‘rings’ for different distances.
Prescription eye drops can also be used to treat presbyopia daily. There is currently only one FDA approved eye drop for this, which aims to reduce your pupil size to improve your depth of focus. There are still limitations and risks associated with this eye drop so be sure to discuss this with us at your next eye exam if you are considering this route.
If you do not use anything to correct presbyopia, you may continue to have headaches or eyestrain. It can take some time to adjust to wearing contacts or glasses if you haven’t needed them until later in life, but ultimately they will save you from pain and discomfort!
Once blurry vision starts to get in the way of your daily life, it’s time to schedule an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam. We can help you determine which correction method will be best!
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