Presbyopia is an aging change that is normal and occurs in all eyes over time. The focusing ability of the eyes will reduce and begin to cause blurry vision up close typically starting in the forties and worsening with age. This is commonly corrected with reading glasses, but many other alternatives are available and can be used to provide clear vision even with presbyopia.
Why Presbyopia Occurs
As humans age, the crystalline lens inside the eye becomes thicker and less flexible. The crystalline lens is the structure of the eye that is responsible for adjusting the focus of the eye.
When the lens is thicker and less flexible, it becomes more difficult for it to focus on near targets which can lead to blurry vision and presbyopia.
The muscle that controls the lens does not lose strength instead the lens becomes harder to move.
Since there is not an inherent physical problem, there are no treatments to reverse or cure presbyopia and it must be corrected using glasses or contacts.
Options for Correcting Presbyopia
Presbyopia can be corrected in different ways depending on whether glasses, contacts, or eye drops are used.
The best option to correct for presbyopia will differ between individuals based on their visual needs, the power of the eyes, and personal preference.
Reading glasses, bifocal glasses, and no-line bifocal glasses are all available to correct presbyopia.
Contact lenses can be worn as monovision or in multifocal form to correct for presbyopia.
A new prescription eye drop has been shown to improve near vision without the use of glasses or contacts in those with presbyopia.
Glasses for Presbyopia
Choosing to correct for presbyopia with glasses has been the option that has existed for the longest time and provides many options.
Reading glasses can be purchased over the counter and are used only for near vision or reading tasks.
Bifocal glasses require a prescription from an eye doctor and are able to provide both distance and near vision in the respective areas of the bifocal lens.
Similarly, a no-line bifocal will require a prescription and can provide distance, near, as well as an intermediate zone of clear vision.
All glasses options are viable for nearly anyone with presbyopia and do not depend on the prescription of the eyes.
Contact Lenses for Presbyopia
Contacts can be used to correct presbyopia in three main ways. First is wearing contacts for distance vision with reading glasses over the contacts.
This is similar to someone who does not need any correction in the distance wearing only reading glasses.
However, if the goal is to avoid all glasses, then monovision or multifocal contacts are the options.
Monovision correction uses contacts to correct one eye for the distance and the other for near vision. This is a great option if detail is important and depth perception can be sacrificed for the clarity of vision.
On the other hand, multifocal contacts can be worn to provide clear vision at all distances but may have slightly less fine detail than other options.
Eye Drops for Presbyopia
A new eye drop, Vuity, is targeted at those with early presbyopia who want an option besides glasses or contacts.
The drop makes the pupil smaller and uses the principles of depth of focus to improve near vision without glasses or contacts.
This drop does not provide the same level of consistent correction as glasses or contact lenses but can be very useful in certain situations.