What to know about presbyopia in the Paducah, KY area
Presbyopia is a vision problem related to aging that affects many Paducah, KY residents. Around age 40, the lenses of your eyes begin losing their elasticity and harden. Muscles controlling the movement of the lenses do not function as well as they did in your 20s and 30, either. Since the lenses help focus incoming images (light) on the retina, deterioration of the lenses will naturally cause visual blurring and distortion. Are you wanting to know presbyopia symptoms? We will take care of that for you.
Symptoms of Presbyopia
Presbyopia symptoms resemble symptoms of being farsighted. For example, if you have presbyopia, you may need to move written material further away to read the words. Headaches due to eyestrain and “fatigued” eyes are additional signs of presbyopia.
Some people rely on reading glasses to read fine or small print. However, reading glasses won’t help prevent the progression of presbyopia. Your Paducah, KY optometrist, will examine your vision and eye health to prescribe eyewear that corrects your vision and delays the progression of this eye disease.
Are You at Risk for Presbyopia?
Not everybody over 40 has presbyopia. Certain risk factors may increase your chance of presbyopia:
- Already being farsighted
- Type 2 diabetes/diabetic retinopathy
- Cardiovascular disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Repeated traumas to the eyes
Certain medications may also promote symptoms of presbyopia. Antidepressants, antihistamines, diuretics, and other drugs that tend to dehydrate body tissues–such as the lenses–can cause premature presbyopia or worsening of presbyopia.
What is the Difference Between Presbyopia Symptoms and Farsightedness?
Farsightedness is usually diagnosed in children or teenagers, whereas presbyopia affects older adults. When a child is farsighted, this means their eyeballs are too short in length, which forces images to focus behind the retina instead of directly on the retina. Both farsightedness and presbyopia make it difficult to see things clear up close.
Treatment for Presbyopia Symptoms in Paducah, KY
Your Paducah, KY eye doctor may use progressive lenses to correct vision blurred by presbyopia. These are line-free eyeglass lenses that improve far and near vision. If your optometrist diagnoses you with a combination of presbyopia and a refractive error (nearsightedness or farsightedness), multi-focal progressive lenses can give you clearer vision.
For Paducah, KY residents who are sensitive to bright light and glare, eye doctors suggest progressive photochromic lenses that darken when exposed to light.
Contact Lenses for Presbyopia
An alternative to wearing eyeglasses to correct presbyopia is wearing multifocal, gas-permeable (GP) contact lenses. Made of materials that allow oxygen to reach the eyes, GP contact lenses also remain cleaner by resisting deposits of protein, bacteria, and other debris.
Multifocal contact lenses provide multiple prescriptions in one contact lens so that users can see clearly from all distance levels. Unlike bifocal lenses that sharply separate prescriptions for correcting nearsightedness and farsightedness, multifocal contact lenses allow for a more gradual transition between prescriptions. Multifocal contact lenses are typically prescribed to Paducah, KY residents who have been diagnosed with presbyopia or farsightedness.
Ask Your Paducah, KY Eye Doctor About Multifocal Contacts If You Have Presbyopia
By providing two different vision powers, multifocal lenses work perfectly to:
- Significantly improve vision for reading, computer work, and more importantly, for driving purposes
- Give you the ability to judge distances more precisely, an especially useful benefit if you drive frequently or have an occupation that involves interactions with machinery, electrical wiring maintenance, and various intense hand/eye activities
- May help delay the worsening of presbyopia by relieving vision “stress” on the eye’s muscles and nerves
- Enhances peripheral vision
- Allows you to wear sunglasses that block UV radiation
- Prevents eye strain and tension headaches resulting from eye strain
Schedule an Appointment with a Eye Doctor Today
Brush Optical offers eye exams for all ages, eyeglasses, and contact lenses, and is proud to provide same-day service using our in-house optical lab. We also diagnose, treat, and manage eye diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Treatment for eye injuries is available, as well.
