Presbyopia Treatment

After age 40, many people develop difficulty with reading and other near-vision tasks. This is because with age, the lens of our eye becomes increasingly inflexible, making it harder to focus on close objects. Unlike a true eye disease, this condition is so common that it eventually happens to almost everyone who reaches old age to some extent. It's called presbyopia.

People with untreated presbyopia often hold reading materials at arm’s length to focus. Performing close-up tasks can cause headaches, eye strain, or fatigue.

Causes of Presbyopia

In youth, the eye’s lens and muscles are flexible, allowing clear focus at different distances. As the eye ages, the lens and muscle fibers harden, making near vision more difficult.

Presbyopia results from aging, and you cannot prevent it. Its onset is not related to other vision issues such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. Most people experience some loss of near vision with age.

Symptoms and Signs of Presbyopia

Presbyopia is characterized by:

• Difficulty focusing on small print
• Blurred near vision
• Experiencing eyestrain, fatigue, or headaches when doing close work or reading
• Needing to hold reading material or small objects at a distance to focus properly
• Requiring brighter lighting when focusing on near objects

Eye doctors diagnose presbyopia during a comprehensive eye exam

Treatment for Presbyopia

Treatment options include eyewear, contact lenses, and surgery.

Eyeglasses

Reading glasses, or “readers,” magnify text to help you focus on close objects.

Bifocal or multifocal glasses, including progressive lenses (PALs), help patients with presbyopia and refractive error. Bifocals use two prescriptions: one for distance and one for near vision. Progressive lenses (PALs) provide a gradual transition between near and distance vision without visible lines. Many people prefer PALs because, unlike bifocals, they do not have a visible line.

Bifocal and Multifocal Contact Lenses

Patients who prefer contacts can choose bifocal or multifocal lenses in soft or rigid gas permeable (RGP) options.

Multifocal contact lenses allow clear vision in all directions, including up, down, and side-to-side. People wearing progressive glasses may need to adjust their gaze to see clearly at a distance.

Another option for those who prefer contact lenses is monovision. Monovision splits distance and near vision between your eyes, using one eye for distance and the other for near vision. Typically, each eye uses a single vision lens, though some cases use a multifocal lens in one eye. This is called modified monovision. Your eye doctor will determine which lens type works best for each eye.

Surgery

Surgical options include monovision LASIK, conductive keratoplasty (CK), corneal inlays, and refractive lens exchange (RLE).

Ongoing research continues to improve treatment options for presbyopia. Speak to your eye doctor about the options that will work best for you.