Have you ever noticed how close or far away you hold pieces of reading material from your eyes? Maybe you’ve been holding things a little further away than normal lately, and just passing your worsening eye sight off as a sign of “getting older”. If you are between the ages of 40-50, and are noticing changes in your vision, you may be experiencing the effects of Presbyopia.
The first signs of Presbyopia include holding items at an arm’s length to focus clearly, squinting, constant eye strain, and possibly severe headaches and fatigue.
Presbyopia differs from an astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness which are common conditions which can affect the ability to see clearly. While you may have heard of these conditions; you may be asking yourself what’s the difference? Farsightedness, Nearsightedness, and astigmatism occurs when an irregularly-shaped eye prevents light from properly lining up with the retina and results in not being able to see things clearly. These conditions can affect people of all ages and can progress and change throughout their lives.
Presbyopia occurs as we get older and the lens of our eyes gradually thickens and become less flexible. As the lens continues to harden, we lose the natural ability to focus on close objects making it difficult to see small print.
If you wear prescription lenses or contacts, chances are you will develop a focusing problem in your lifetime including the effects of Presbyopia. The good news is that our clinic has three different treatment procedures when it comes to correcting your vision:
RLE: NEW Summer 2019! This procedure is ideal for patients over 50 living with presbyopia or corrective multi-focal lenses. RLE is similar to laser-assisted cataract surgery where the natural lens is removed and replaced by a permanent multi-focal lens.
iLASIK: As a procedure that usually takes less than a minute on each eye, this surgery is completely blade-free and ideal for those who wish to have a life without prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses.
PRK with iDesign WaveFront: PRK is ideal for those who play contact sports or may be involved in an active profession such as the military or police.
Visian: For patients with strong prescription lenses, Visian offers permanent freedom from eyeglasses or contact lenses. Visian TICL works like a contact lens, except that the lens is surgically placed inside your eye, rather than on the surface. The lens is invisible, but your improved eyesight will know it’s there!
Whatever your personal reason may be, laser eye surgery is a life-changing event and there are many considerations to keep in mind and your age is one of those! There are a wide variety of conditions that can cause your eyesight to be less than perfect and as you age they can continue to change.
Our vision care team at Image Plus takes the time to assess your vision and your overall health to determine whether you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery or not. Book your complimentary personal assessment and start thinking about your new life without boundaries!