Are you having trouble seeing clearly up close? There are a couple potential causes of this change in your eye sight. But how do you know what it is? should you be worried? and most important, should you see the eye doctor?
If you are in your late 30’s or early 40’s and you are beginning to notice that reading has become difficult, chances are you are noticing the beginning signs of presbyopia. If you had great eyesight your entire life, and all of a sudden that dinner menu or newspaper is getting a little fuzzy, you can relax. There is nothing wrong with your eyes. Welcome to the presbyopia club.
Presbyopia is related to a thickening of the lens inside your eye. It’s official name is the crystalline lens and it allows us to focus from distance to near. This is possible because of the elasticity of the lens. Throughout life, the crystalline lens grows more dense and loses it’s flexibility. This also explains why it strikes everybody right around the age of 40.
Presbyopia can be addressed in a number of ways. The simplest form of correction is with reading glasses. All you have to do is put them on and you can see. Of course, don’t expect to see anything in the distance if you are wearing reading glasses, unless they are progressive or bifocal lenses.
Another method used in alleviating presbyopia is with contact lenses. Lenses can be fit in a variety of ways. One widely used fitting style is referred to as monovision; where one eye is corrected for near vision and they other for distance. Multifocal contact lenses can also be employed for a more progressive range of vision.
There are even some surgeries being tested to correct your presbyopia. CK surgery is the most common and widely used corneal refractive surgery used to correct the symptoms of presbyopia.
If you are having trouble with your near vision but you are not approaching forty years of age it something different entirely. Most likely you are farsighted, also known as hyperopia. In essence your eye, from the surface of the cornea to the retina, is too short and light rays do not come to a focus. in theory, the focal point is behind the eye. Because of the power of the crystalline lens in young people, mildly hyperopic kids and teenagers don’t even notice a vision correction is necessary. However, uncorrected farsightedness can lead to headaches and eye strain.
Now the big question, should you see an eye doctor? Of course you should! Only your eye care provider can be entirely certain that your eyes are healthy. Vision is only a small portion of your eye exam.
Gordon Kay is a person who has presbyopic eyes. He recently accepted his vision. After years of denial, Gordon has put together http://www.eyeonpresbyopia.com to keep himself and other presbyopic people in the know when it comes to their near vision.
– Gordon Kaye