Having Trouble Reading?
Wednesday - October 07, 2009
What is Presbyopia?
The condition that causes difficulty with reading as we get older is called presbyopia. Presbyopia occurs when the lens of the eye is no longer able to change shape to focus from far to near. This usually occurs around the age of 40-45. Typically you know you have presbyopia when fine print starts to appear blurry. Even if you have LASIK or PRK as a younger person and achieve perfect distance vision, you will eventually need reading glasses.
Monovision LASIK
Patients can elect to have monovision or “blended vision,” whereby one eye is corrected for distance and the other eye is corrected for near vision. Many people are able to mimic this with contact lenses. Although this causes some mild disparity between the eyes, the brain usually adapts well. Depending on the person’s age and visual demands some may still need to use glasses for certain tasks.
Monovision should first be tried in a pair of trial frames or contact lenses prior to LASIK surgery. If you would like to see if you are a good candidate for “blended vision”, call Aloha Laser Vision to schedule a FREE screening with Dr. Faulkner.
Refractive Lens Exchange or RLE
Another available option for correcting presbyopia is to remove the eye’s natural lens and replace it with an artificial lens. This procedure is identical to cataract surgery, however, it is not specifically FDA approved for presbyopia correction.
Refractive lens exchange (sometimes referred to as clear lens extraction) is becoming a more popular off label procedure due to the availability of FDA approved accommodating and multifocal lenses. These new lenses may allow the patient to see near, far and intermediate.
PresbyLASIK
In the past, presbyopia was corrected with readers or bifocal/progressive lenses.
Now there are a number of surgical options which can reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses:
In PresbyLASIK, zones are established on the eye’s cornea (clear front surface) similar to a multifocal contact lens. PresbyLASIK is an off label procedure which is still not FDA approved. Refractive surgeons in the US are performing this procedure and reporting high patient satisfaction.
To find out which of these options can restore your near vision, call to schedule a free screening and consultation with Dr. Alan Faulkner. Dr. Faulkner can help you choose which remedy will help you the most depending on your lifestyle, hobbies and occupation.
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