While some vision problems tend to develop in childhood, others may not appear until well into your adulthood. Presbyopia is an age-related vision condition—typically developing in people aged 40 or older—that hinders your close-range vision. Read on as your expert eye doctor from NOVA Vision Center answers frequently asked questions about this condition:
Q: What Causes Presbyopia?
Your natural lenses are flexible, which allows them to change shape depending on whether you’re looking at nearby or distant objects. Their flexibility also helps them focus light rays toward your retina. As you age, however, your lenses may begin to lose their flexibility and become more rigid. This can interfere with the light-focusing and image interpretation processes in your eyes, causing presbyopia.
Q: How Does It Affect My Eyesight?
The hallmark symptom of presbyopia is blurry close-range vision. If you feel the need to hold reading materials like a book or dinner menu at arm’s length in order to see the words clearly, you may be experiencing presbyopia. You may also experience eye fatigue, headaches, and nausea when performing close-range work. If you experience any of these symptoms, we suggest visiting your eye care specialist as soon as possible. We can perform a comprehensive eye exam to determine whether you have developed presbyopia.
Q: How Is It Detected?
During your comprehensive eye exam, we will perform a series of tests to check for signs of presbyopia. This may include a visual acuity assessment, as well as refraction and retinoscopy tests to establish the severity of your vision error. Our findings will serve as our guide in creating your treatment plan.
Q: How Is Presbyopia Treated?
We typically recommend wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses that contain multiple lens powers to improve your visual acuity. Bifocals, progressives, and multifocals are some great options; each of these feature multiple prescriptions in a single lens, allowing you to clearly see figures at varying distances.
While presbyopia is quite common in people over the age of 40, there are steps you can take to improve your visual health and reduce your risk of developing this condition. Eating a well-balanced diet and exercising regularly are some great places to start. We also recommend having regular comprehensive eye exams, so we can monitor your visual health and promptly detect and treat any underlying vision conditions.
If you have any further questions about presbyopia, call us at (703) 291-0080 or complete our form. We serve Falls Church and Arlington, VA.