Visit your Belmont, NC Optometrist to Learn More About Treatment Options

Many adults begin to notice signs of presbyopia or a diminished ability to see things that are close, as they get older. With the growing worldwide population reaching older ages, a larger number of individuals are developing presbyopia, which is an unavoidable result of your aging eye.

Theories about the cause of presbyopia are that the eyes' lenses will begin to lose flexibility around age 40, making it more difficult for eyes to focus in on something, particularly something close by. Sufferers usually cope with the reduced vision by holding the paper far away or standing away from the object they are looking at. Transitions from looking at far away objects to closer ones can often be tiring for people with presbyopia. The strain might worsen the situation resulting in headaches, eye strain or fatigue.

The most popular solutions for dealing with presbyopia are bifocals or progressive addition lenses (PALs). A bifocal lens has two points of focus, the main part of the lens has a prescription for distance vision and a second, lower portion for looking at things nearby. Progressive lenses are similar to bifocals, but they provide a more subtle gradient between the two prescriptions and have no clear line between them. Users can more easily shift visual focus, as they would with uninhibited sight. Another option is reading glasses which, unlike bifocals or PALs which are worn all day, are used only as needed.

If contacts are preferred over eyeglasses, there are other alternatives such as multifocal contact lenses. Multifocals don't work for everyone and can sometimes be uncomfortable, so it may take some time to determine if and in what combination they work for you.

Additionally, there are options for other procedures including surgery available that you may want to discuss with your eye doctor. Many patients find the most success by combining treatments for presbyopia. Also, because your vision will continue to deteriorate as you age, it is likely that you will be required to keep adjusting the strength of your correction. With the population growing older, there is quite a bit of research being done to identify additional effective treatments for presbyopia.

If you are starting to see signs of presbyopia, call for an appointment with your Belmont, NC eye doctor. Improved vision is just a call away!