Archive for 'presbyopia'

Common Vision Disorders

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The most common vision disorders requiring corrective contact lenses include:

Hyperopia (Far Sightedness)

People with far sightedness have trouble seeing objects up close. Sewing, reading or using the computer may become difficult causing eye strain and headaches.

Hyperopia or far sightedness occurs as a result of an imperfection in the eye.  When light enters  the eye it focuses behind the retina instead of directly on it  resulting in blurring of the image.
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Myopia (Short Sightedness)

People with short sightedness have trouble seeing objects at a distance. Driving a car may be difficult as the road signs can’t be seen clearly and children at the back of the class may have trouble seeing the chalk board at school.

Myopia occurs when the shape of the eyeball is slightly longer than normal. Light entering the eye focuses in front of the retina instead of directly onto it causing a blurred image.
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Presbyopia (Age Related)

Presbyopia occurs in most people as a result of the aging process. The eyes gradually lose their capacity to see things at close range. This is why you may see people holding a book or newspaper at arms length as it becomes easier to read the further away it is.
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Astigmatism

Astigmatism occurs when the cornea of the eye is oval shaped instead of round or when the lens of the eye is an irregular shape. The result is blurred vision as the light entering the eye cannot focus correctly onto the retina.
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All about Presbyopia

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Many believe that presbyopia is a disease, but it is not.  Presbyopia is actually the eyes inability to adjust and accommodate changes in lighting and focus as the body ages.  Many experts believe that presbyopia is caused by a loss of elasticity in the crystalline lens or even changes in the shape of the lens or the loss of power in the ciliary muscles, though the specific cause is not known.  Much has been written on the condition, and for all experts know each case has a different cause, what experts do know is that we will all experience the condition sooner or later.

Presbyopia doesn’t pick and choose its victims, because it literally affects everyone at some point in their life, usually it starts anywhere from age 40-50.

The first symptoms are usually the inability to read fine print, to read in dim lighting, and some patients experience strained eyes when they read for long periods of time.  The condition is usually less noticeable in bright natural light as the iris closes so that the depth of focus is enhanced.  It seems as though the ability to focus is greater, but really it is not.

Unfortunately, presbyopia is not something that can be cured, though experts believe that there may be a cure or preventative treatments in the future.

Luckily, the eyes inability to adjust can be treated with corrective lenses, glasses, and contact lenses.  Many that suffer from this condition find that bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses are quite helpful in eliminating or at least reducing the symptoms of presbyopia.  Many patients find that wearing just one lens will help the symptoms so that they will again be able to read without trouble.

By the age of 65 most people report symptoms of full-blown presbyopia, but most find ways to cope with the symptoms.  Some find that reading glasses help them read every day things such as prescription bottles and recipe cards with little or no effort.  Many people don’t like the idea of contact lenses or corrective lenses so they continue to hold things further and further away as they age.  You’ll find as you get older that you just hold things further and further away from your face as you read!  The action that you choose to take to deal with presbyopia is your choice and usually has to do with how severely you are affected.

Bifocal Contact Lenses Suitable for Presbyopia

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One of the almost inevitable effects of aging is a condition called presbyopia. If you find that you can only read the newspaper if you hold it at arm’s length or have trouble reading the labels on medicine bottles, then you’re probably suffering from the gradual decline in the ability to focus on objects that are closer than arm’s length. If you thought that your only option was bifocal glasses, think again!  Advances in the contact lens industry have made it possible for you to wear bifocal contact lenses – and no one has to know.

The traditional eye correction treatment for presbyopia is bifocal glasses – glasses that combine both a prescription for nearsightedness and one for farsightedness in one lens. Bifocal contact lenses are made the same way. They are soft contact lenses designed to float on the surface of your cornea and correct both vision problems in one of several ways. Your eye care provider can help you decide on the best option for your particular eye care needs.

Translating bifocal contact lenses
Translating lenses are the closest to traditional bifocals, with the near and far prescriptions in distinctly separate areas. Usually the prescription for near vision is at the bottom of the lens and the one for far at the top, but occasionally the doctor may reverse the prescription for special needs.

In addition, some people need a third correction, and all three lens strengths will be combined in one lens. These lenses work well for most people who need correction for nearsightedness, but the lens needs to be able to move easily on the surface of the cornea. This can be a problem for people with large pupils or drooping eyelids.

Annular bifocal contact lenses
For those with small pupils, or those whose vision needs very little correction, there are annular bifocal contact lenses. Rather than separating the prescriptions into two distinct areas, annular lenses have the prescriptions arranged in concentric rings around the center of the lens. Your doctor will help decide the exact placement of the rings. As with translating lenses, you’ll learn to focus through the part of the lens most appropriate for the needs of a task.

Aspherical bifocal contact lenses
In these lenses, the prescription areas of the contact lens are placed near the center of the eye. It’s the most like natural vision, where your eyes ignore far objects when doing near work, and reverse that when focusing on objects in the distance.

Monovision fitted contact lenses
Technically speaking, these aren’t bifocal lenses. Instead, one eye wears a prescription for nearsightedness and the other for farsightedness. While it may take a bit of practice, your eyes will get used to focusing on the tasks you’re doing with the appropriate eye.

Hybrid bifocal contact lenses
With hybrid bifocals, your doctor fits one eye with a bifocal lens and the other with a prescription for a stronger need. Like monovision lenses, your eyes will use the right eye for the right task.

All of these types of lenses are increasingly available as both disposable and extended wear lenses, or as rigid gas permeable lenses. If you find that you just aren’t seeing as well as you used to, have a chat with your eye care professional to find out if bifocal contact lenses are right for you.