Eyes over age 40

Your Eyes over 40

As you get older, you may notice a change happening with your eyes. This is completely common and actually should be anticipated. Read below to find out more about this change and what you can do to still see clearly.

Presbyopia

Presbyopia is a condition where the lens of the eye gradually loses it ability to flex and focus up close. It typically begins earlier but is first noticed by patients as they approach their early to mid-’40s. Even if a person has never had a visual problem before, they can still develop presbyopia.

Presbyopia is a natural part of the aging process. There is no cure, though researchers are constantly looking for one. Even if someone has never had vision problems before, they can still develop presbyopia. It may seem to occur suddenly but actually occurs over a long period of time.

People with presbyopia often experience blurred vision up close. They often have to hold objects further away to bring them into focus. Often they will say “my eyes are fine, but my arms aren’t long enough”. Other symptoms include eye strain, fatigue, and headaches from near work.

Many options are available to treat presbyopia including reading glasses, bifocals, trifocals, progressive lenses, contact lenses, monovision, and more.

Options to Treat Presbyopia

  • Bifocals
    For many people, different lenses are needed for seeing at different distances. Bifocal lenses allow the wearer to look through two areas of the lens. One area focuses on distant objects. The other is used for reading. If you are focusing on distant objects, you look through the top half of the lenses. To read a book, magazine, or newspaper, you look through the “reading” area. One thing that is difficult about using bifocals is dealing with the line between the two vision areas. Fortunately, recent technologies have developed a new type of lens, called the no-line, or progressive lens.
  • Computer Glasses
    To reduce eye strain and fatigue, we carry specialized computer lenses. These lenses are perfect people who spend the majority of their day working on a computer. And since three out of four computer users will suffer from Computer Vision Syndrome, computer lenses are a great way to keep your eyesight healthy.
  • Reading Glasses
    One of the first areas of your life where presbyopia becomes prominent is in your ability to read. There are a variety of reading glass styles available, with sleek designs that allow you to carry them anywhere.
  • No-Line Bifocals
    For many presbyopes, bifocal lenses are a necessity. But, it can be difficult to adjust to the harsh line that is found in bifocal lenses. Fortunately, there are lenses available with no-line; these are called progressive lenses. No more lines! Just a gradual change in focusing power which allows you to comfortably focus on any distance. Just like bifocals, distant objects are viewed through the top portion of the lenses, and near objects are viewed through the bottom portion of the lenses. The benefit now is, no one knows it but you!
  • Bifocal Contacts
    If you need bifocals but can’t stand wearing glasses, bifocal contact lenses are an option for you. Now you can have all of the benefits of bifocal lenses in the convenience of contact lenses. Just like bifocal glasses, bifocal contacts will allow you to see objects both far away and up close at the same time. Talk with your doctor about bifocal contacts today.
  • Monovision Correction
    For some of our emerging presybopes we offer another option called monovision. We set up monovision using your contact lenses (this can also be done with refractive surgery). With monovision we fitting your dominant eye for distance vision and your non-dominant eye for near vision. Contacts are available in disposable, extended wear, and even daily disposable lenses to fit your lifestyle. Monovision correction is not a perfect system, it has some compromises to it with depth perception and fine detail. Most patients require 2-4 weeks to make the adjustment to monovision. Ask your eye doctor if monovision is right for you.