Presbyopia is an eye condition that many LASIK Orange County doctors find in older adults. In this condition, the lens can no longer focus on nearby objects.
For laser eye surgery Orange County doctors, this eye condition is a natural and usually frustrating part of aging. Typically, Presbyopia becomes noticeable in a person’s mid-40s and worsens until the age of 65. As a matter of fact, the term “presbyopia” comes from a Greek word that means “old eye.”
Doctor Moosa, a premier LASIK surgeon in Orange County tells us that you will become aware of Presbyopia when you begin to hold books and newspapers at arm’s length so you can read them. A simple eye exam can affirm Presbyopia. Fortunately, LASIK surgeons in Orange County have different treatment options such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, and surgery.
What Causes Presbyopia?
The LASIK Orange County experts tell us that the clear lens sits inside the eye behind the colored iris. It alters shape to focus light onto the retina, so your eye allows you to see. The lens is soft and flexible in younger eyes and easily changes shape, allowing you to focus on objects close-up and far away. After age 40, the lens becomes stiffer, and it doesn’t alter its shape as effortlessly. This makes it more challenging to read, thread a needle, or do other close-up tasks.
Unfortunately, you can’t stop or reverse the normal aging process that causes Presbyopia. Nevertheless, Presbyopia can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Individuals who have issues seeing both near and far can take advantage of progressive lenses. Modern medicine recognizes that one day presbyopia will be treated with eye drops. If you do not do something about your Presbyopia, you will suffer from headaches and eye strain.
Also, there is a risk of premature Presbyopia in some people. Patients with cardiovascular disease, anemia, diabetes, farsightedness, eye disease, and multiple sclerosis are at increased risk for premature Presbyopia.
The symptoms of Presbyopia include difficulty reading small letters, having a headache or eye strain. Such people have to hold the material farther away from the eye.
What Are The Treatment Options?
When you ask about laser eye surgery costs, you will find that various treatment options may help you correct this condition. Different options available are non-prescription glasses, prescription glasses, contact lenses, surgery, and orthokeratology lenses. Every option has its pros and cons, and your ophthalmologist may recommend an option that best suits you depending upon your condition and lifestyle.
Reading Glasses
If the only vision problem you have is Presbyopia (you don’t suffer from farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism), eyeglasses may be all you require. Reading glasses help correct close-up vision issues by bending (or refracting) light before it goes into the eye. You can purchase reading glasses without a prescription, but an eye exam should determine the distinguishing power of reading glasses that you require.
Bifocals, Trifocals, or Progressive Lenses
If you already wear eyeglasses for other vision issues now, you might need bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses.
Bifocals correct close-up and far vision. You may or may not notice a line that divides the lens. The bottom of the lens refracts light for close-up vision, while the top portion refracts light to let you view distant objects.
Trifocals have three lens areas to correct for close-up, mid-range, and far vision.
Progressive lenses correct vision such as bifocals and trifocals. But rather than a line that separates each refractive area, refraction changes slowly in the lens from top to bottom.
Contact Lenses
Some people would rather wear contact lenses over eyeglasses. There are two kinds of contact lenses that correct Presbyopia:
Monovision contacts. These correct one eye for distance vision and the other for close-up vision. You have to adapt to monovision lenses and train your brain to see this way. The issue that some people have with monovision is that you can misjudge something’s distance or speed.
Multifocal contacts. These lenses have many rings or zones set at different powers. With this design, you are only using both near and far vision at the same time. However, you can train your brain to automatically opt for the proper focus for what you want to see. You may notice that using a multifocal lens makes your vision less sharp compared to using a monofocal lens.
Surgery
When some patients want to achieve monovision, they do refractive surgery. This can reduce their dependence on glasses for near and far objects. With the use of a laser, an eye doctor alters the cornea for clear far vision in one eye and close-up vision in the other. In a lot of ways, this is like wearing monovision contact lenses. An eye doctor may advise you to try monovision lenses before having LASIK surgery. This will help you decide whether or not monovision is a comfortable option for you.
At Excel Laser Vision Institute, we have a team of skilled and committed staff who will quickly answer all of your questions and put you at ease about your surgery. We only use advanced laser vision correction technology to carry out vision correction procedures. Our Harvard-trained surgeon, Dr. Moosa, serves at our Orange County and the Los Angeles offices. After we have assessed your prescription and eye health, we can discuss which eye correction treatment is more suitable for you, the necessary financing you may require, and the next steps. Start your journey towards a clear vision that eliminates your dependence on eyeglasses and contact lenses today.