You have presbyopia. Now what?
Do you find yourself squinting to read your computer screen, or struggling to read your smartphone, menus, magazines or labels?
If you do, and you’re over 40, chances are you have presbyopia.
Presbyopia Signs And Symptoms
Presbyopia is the normal change that occurs as your eye ages because the lens stiffens and loses flexibility, making it harder to focus up close. It usually occurs at or around the age of 40. Everyone gets it to some degree, even those who’ve never had vision problems before.
When you develop presbyopia, your eyes are less able to focus on things up close, making it harder to read fine print — especially in lowlight situations. Even if you can see fairly well up-close, presbyopia can cause eye strain, headaches, and visual fatigue if not corrected.
The term comes from the Greek words “presbys” and “opys,” which mean “old man” and “sight”. It was mentioned as far back as the 4th century BC in Aristotle’s writings.
Today more than 111 million American adults have presbyopia, and that number is estimated to grow to 123 million by 2020 as the population ages.
There is no way to stop or reverse this normal aging process of the eye, but the good news is it is easily diagnosed through a routine eye exam and easily corrected.
Yes, You Can Wear Contact Lenses
Wearing reading glasses or bifocal or multifocal eyeglasses used to be the only options. But today, you can opt for surgery, or multifocal contact lens, such as Bausch + Lomb ULTRA® For Presbyopia contact lenses.
Multifocal contact lenses offer the best of both worlds: no glasses, along with good near and distance vision. And advances in lens design and materials make multifocal contact lenses ideal for today’s presbyopic population, which is more active than ever.
You're probably much more active than your parents were at your age. Biking, jogging, exercising and playing sports are just a few of the activities that today's over-40 set routinely enjoy, so it’s no surprise many people over 40 prefer contact lenses over glasses for their active lifestyles.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of presbyopia, stop pushing your menu to arm's-length to read it, and schedule an appointment with your eye doctor today.