Coping with vision loss
A trip home up North to visit my mum is never without drama.
It’s that feeling of temporarily returning to the state of being a small child, stripped of any independence or competence that’s been accrued over the years and suddenly being told to tuck in your shirt and not to say the Lord’s name in vain.
But recently the trips have become a little more eventful.
My mum isn’t one to admit she can’t do something, so now when it comes to reading small print or focusing on anything near the vicinity of her face, she ineloquently sets about trying to disguise the fact that her vision has deteriorated with age.
This amuses me. But at the same time it’s also quite worrying.
It’s estimated that in the UK alone there are almost 2 million people dealing with vision loss. Around 360,000 are registered as blind or partially sighted—so what’s happening with the other 1,640,000?
The Realisation
Coming to terms with loosing your vision can be a difficult and lengthy process. Nobody wants to be told their vision is deteriorating—particularly when it’s as a result of getting older.
Many people go through a similar process to a traumatic life event, experiencing a range of emotions—shock, anger, denial, acceptance (I think it’s safe to say where my mum is). It’s an arduous mental battle which is often exacerbated and drawn out more than it needs to be.
The reality is that today it’s possible to skip the emotional process, avoid succumbing to reading glasses or bifocals, and achieve your desired level of vision without anyone knowing any different.
The cunning way to restore your vision
For a long time Laser Eye Surgery has been considered powerless against the effects of ageing on the eye. And depending on which clinic you go to, that still may be true. However, the technology and the expertise are here, and it’s more than possible to use Laser Eye Surgery to fight back ageing eyes, otherwise known as ‘presbyopia’.
The revolutionary technique known as ‘PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision’ was developed by Professor Dan Reinstein and his team here at London Vision Clinic. Since its introduction in 2005, many patients have benefited from the treatment and rejoiced for a new life without glasses.
Presbyopia is nothing to be ashamed of. It starts affecting the eye when you’re middle aged, gradually stiffening the lens inside the eye and weakening the muscles that help alter its shape. It can happen to anyone, but if left unchecked will inevitably lead to the use of vision correction.
Combining the power of biology and technology
PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision works by altering each eye slightly differently. While one is adjusted to focus mainly on distance, the other is adjusted to focus mainly on the up close and near surroundings. The brains adapts, combing the opposing perspectives to create a greater depth of vision and an all-round improvement in visual acuity.
In many clinics the go-to treatment for presbyopia is lens replacement surgery—literally replacing your eye’s natural lens with a synthetic one. However, as it’s now possible to treat the condition with PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision—a much less invasive option which is suitable for the majority of patients—there is really no debate which treatment will be the industry standard of the future.
Forget where you left your glasses? Not to worry, you can now get rid of them for several years, if not for good. Oh and mum, hang in there, I’ll drop a business card off the next time I visit!
If you would like to book a consultation at London Vision Clinic, or find out more about PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision, leave us a comment or give us a call us on 020 7224 1005.
