Presbyopia: Near Vision Solutions in Houston

Presbyopia is a condition caused by the natural aging of your eyes during which an individual begins to lose ability to focus visually on nearby objects. Also called “near vision,” presbyopia can occur regardless of your vision history and affects all races and genders.

As our population ages, the number of people who struggle with presbyopia is increasing. But there is good news. There are several means of presbyopia prevention, treatment, and surgery through which eye doctors can alleviate presbyopia symptoms.

What is presbyopia of the eye?

When we arrive at age 40, the lenses in our eyes have received enough wear and tear that they begin to lose their flexibility. A lens that has thickened and hardened due to presbyopia and is unable to focus on objects that are nearby.

Note that this thickening is what differentiates presbyopia from myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness) which are caused by refractive errors in the lens. (Further reading regarding the difference between nearsighted and farsighted here.)

Whereas before the first signs of presbyopia tended to come when individuals had a difficult time reading books or a newspaper, now one of the first symptoms of presbyopia is difficulty reading on our various devices.

If you have ever seen someone hold their phone farther away from their face so that they could read a text message, then chances are you’ve seen presbyopia in action. (Further reading on the question, “Does looking at a screen damage your eyes?” here.)

How is presbyopia diagnosed?

Presbyopia can be diagnosed during a routine eye examination. Even if you have not had eye problems in the past, it is recommended by most eye doctors that all individuals get their eyes tested when they turn 40.

Receiving regular eye checkups after (and, frankly, even before) you turn 40 increase your chances of having healthy eyes for longer, especially as the onset of some eye diseases are not marked by symptoms.  

Which lens is used for presbyopia treatment?

We hear this question often at Eye Center of Texas. While there are lenses that do a wonderful job of treating problems with near vision, you may not even need them. If you haven’t had vision problems before, it’s possible that you may be able to get by simply with readers from the drugstore.

That said, patients who already wear prescription lenses to address another vision issue almost always need prescription option to address their near vision. These options include: bifocal glasses or contact lenses, trifocal glasses, monovision contact lenses, and more.

Finally, many patients elect to have eye surgery to treat their presbyopia. The following are popular surgical options for addressing near vision issues.

• Lens replacement for presbyopia, a procedure similar to cataract surgery. In Refractive Lens Exchange, your aged lens will be replaced with an intraocular lens.
• LASIK eye surgery that adjusts your eyes for monovision. (If you know you’re not a good candidate for Houston LASIK, PRK eye surgery is an equally successful alternative.)

Frustrated by near vision problems? Eye Center of Texas is nearby.

Presbyopia can be treated. The staff at Eye Center of Texas has years of experience treating eye diseases and vision issues. Our doctors perform only the safest, most advanced cataract surgical techniques and technology.

Contact us today at 713-395-1515 or schedule an appointment online for more information on presbyopia treatment in Houston.