If you are reaching the age of 40 and have noticed difficulty reading small print, then you may be suffering from presbyopia. Presbyopia is the weakening of the focusing system within the eye. As you grow older, the muscles surrounding the lens loses its elasticity to focus. When this happens, this decreases your ability to focus on near objects. Natural tendencies include holding objects further, using more light to read or in more advanced cases, avoiding all near tasks.
How do I know if I have it or not? The main symptom is blurriness for near vision. You may also experience eye strain or frontal/side headaches when you read. Unfortunately, presbyopia is a progressing condition and will continue to get worse until the age of 65.
Can we do eye exercises to strengthen the muscles? The answer is no. The muscles are not skeletal muscles (eg. biceps, triceps); they are actually smooth muscles. Just like how we can’t control how we digest our food in our stomach.
How is presbyopia treated? It can be treated by near vision glasses, bifocals, progressives and even multifocal contacts.
One piece of great news is the 1 day Proclear Multifocals that just came out recently! These are great for individuals that would like to wear contacts occasionally but still wants to be able to do some near tasks. Imagine on the weekend, you would like to go for a run and then stop off at a coffee shop to read a magazine. Then this product is for you.
Come by Avenue Eyecare to ask for more details!
Vancouver Kerrisdale Optometrist
Contact Avenue Eyecare to book your appointment today.