Treatable Eye Conditions: Presbyopia (Ageing Eyes)

When the human eye is working at its optimum level, it provides us with an incredibly clear view of the world around us -across all distances. From reading the crisp letters on a page to distinguishing individual leaves on a tree in the distance, the variety in our vision is truly amazing. But our eyes aren’t always working to their very best.

In fact, a significant portion of people around the world have at least one refractive error that affects their vision. Some of us might be born with these errors, develop them in childhood or our early adult years, or – as the vast majority of us will find – in middle-age as a result of ageing eyes.

Presbyopia is an age-related refractive error that will one day affect us all. But what is it – and can it be treated?

Presbyopia (Ageing Eyes), Explained…

The natural deterioration of our vision as we get older is known as presbyopia – literally, “old eye” (flattering, right?). But while we might not like the sound of it, this is one of the many effects of ageing that we simply cannot escape from. So, what causes presbyopia?

Our eyes are made up of millions of components that all work together to send information to our brain. Presbyopia affects some of the key parts of this system: the lens and the muscles around it that, through contraction and relaxation, allow us to switch focus from near to long distance.

As we, and our eyes, age, these important elements begin to change. The lens, once flexible and easily adjustable, becomes stiffer. This is due to the continuous formation of new cells, which over time causes the lens to become thicker and less flexible. Meanwhile, those muscles around the lenses have started to weaken, making it more difficult to switch the focus of our eyes.

The effects of presbyopia typically start to become noticeable when we reach our 40s. The first tell-tale signs include straining to read text that was once easily decipherable. You might find yourself holding books and menus further from your face in an effort to make out the letters. Or perhaps you’ve had to increase the size of text on your phone or laptop…

All of this means only one thing: It’s time for correction.

Time for Reading Glasses? Or Perhaps a Better Option…

Reading glasses have been the go-to solution for presbyopia for centuries. For most of this time, there simply wasn’t an alternative; however, that isn’t to say that reading glasses aren’t an extremely effective solution for ageing eyes. They can correct even the most severe of prescriptions and are extremely accessible.

But, as anyone who has had to wear reading glasses will tell you, they aren’t without their drawbacks.

Like with all external visual aids, they carry the risk of loss or damage – which can mean shelling out for expensive replacements. And for some people, just the look of them is enough to put them off – which is a completely valid reason to opt out of wearing them, should you so choose. That isn’t to say you then have to suffer the inconvenience of being unable to read a page in front of you.

There are several alternatives to reading glasses, bifocals, and varifocals for correcting presbyopia – each with their own pros and cons.

Take monovision, for example. This correction technique can be applied in a number of ways, including via contact lenses and in Clear lens surgery.

This method works by correcting one eye for near vision and the other eye for distance vision. In theory, the brain can then combine these two images to create a clear picture across all distances – and for many people, this is extremely effective. However, not everyone can tolerate this method of correction, with around a third of people unable to adjust.

Clear Lens Exchange (CLE ) surgery can also correct presbyopia by replacing the natural lens with a synthetic one. This works in the same way as glasses or contact lenses, while doing away with the need for external aids. CLE is extremely effective in most patients; however, it is relatively more invasive than laser procedures and can come at a higher cost.

PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision: Laser Eye Surgery for Presbyopia

The London Vision Clinic was the first clinic in the UK to offer Laser Eye Surgery for presbyopia. In fact, our founder, Professor Dan Reinstein, pioneered the technique way back in the early 2000s. Since 2004, we have successfully corrected the vision of thousands of patients using this innovative method.

PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision works in a similar way to monovision – but it takes correction a step further. One eye is corrected mainly for near vision, with a little distance, and the other eye is corrected mainly for distance with a little near vision. This graduated correction makes it easier for the brain to adjust, making it a more tolerable solution. As a result, up to 97% of people are suitable for presbyopia correction with PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision!

Here at London Vision Clinic, we pioneered effective Laser Eye Surgery for presbyopia. See if you could be suitable today – get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators or Book a Consultation!