Presbyopia Or Eye Strain

In addition to making near vision difficult, presbyopia can cause redness and itching of the eyes. Learn more about it in this article.

Presbyopia is a vision defect commonly referred to as “visual fatigue”. You have certainly noticed that most people over 50 start to hold off books, cell phones or anything else because they cannot see it well up close.

This is a process that affects around 85% of people over the age of 45. The lens, which is the transparent lens of the eye, loses its elasticity and near vision becomes significantly more difficult.

Unfortunately, presbyopia cannot be avoided. However, it can be treated and improved. That’s why this article explains everything you need to know about presbyopia to make it easier for you to identify its symptoms.

What is presbyopia?

The lens is a transparent part of our eye that acts like a natural lens. Its function is to focus the light rays on the retina, so that the vision process takes place correctly.

Over the years, the lens becomes more and more opaque and less elastic. This loss of elasticity is the cause of presbyopia. In fact, it is a physiological and normal process that accompanies aging. Therefore, presbyopia cannot be classified as a disease.

What is happening is that you lose the ability to clearly see things close to you. In other words, near vision deteriorates. Symptoms start to appear from the age of 40 or 45.

What are the symptoms of presbyopia?

The main and most obvious symptom is that it becomes difficult to focus on objects at close range. For example, it is very easy to see this by reading a book or looking at something on the screen of a cell phone. People with presbyopia begin to move these objects away so that they can see clearly.

Another common symptom is a headache, especially when reading. Likewise, the eyes get tired and weary. Many people experience tingling, dry eyes, redness and tearing.

In addition, the symptoms are often worse at night and in situations where the light is dimmer or darker. In fact, as the age increases, the defect becomes more and more intense and the symptoms worsen.

Is there a way to prevent or treat presbyopia?

Since this is a natural process, it cannot be avoided. There are some ways to delay its onset, although they haven’t been proven to be really helpful. The idea is to maintain good visual hygiene.

To do this, it is first of all important to rest your eyes from time to time. Especially when you are constantly working at the computer. It is advisable to take half-hour breaks to relax your eyes.

It is also advisable to spend time outdoors, in natural light. Also, when you go for a walk or sunbathe, you should protect your eyes with sunglasses. These are basic steps to take care of your eyesight in general.

Treatment

The treatment of presbyopia is based on the use of glasses, contact lenses or surgery. First of all, the glasses can be reading glasses, bifocals or progressive glasses. Reading glasses have always been the most used, but they are less and less recommended because they are only useful for a specific purpose.

Bifocal glasses are now almost obsolete. On the other hand, progressive glasses allow you to focus your vision at all distances, near and far. The upper part of the lens corrects far vision, while the lower part improves near vision. The change between zones is gradual.

Although this is a slightly more complex option, there are currently many surgical techniques available that can significantly improve presbyopia. The best thing to do is to see an ophthalmologist who will help you decide on the best treatment for you, based on your symptoms, age, and general condition.

In conclusion

Presbyopia, also called visual fatigue, is a normal process that accompanies aging. It consists of a decrease in the elasticity of the lens over time, and near vision becomes more difficult. It is impossible to prevent it, but there are currently many ways to improve these vision defects.