Eye fatigue, difficulty reading, inability to focus, blurred near vision… These are the first signs of presbyopia, a natural decline in visual accommodation that requires specific correction, usually after 40 years of age.
Presbyopia is a visual disturbance which is first manifested by fatigue and a feeling of straining in the eyes. It usually occurs with age. It is possible to wear glasses correction and adapted lenses or resort to surgery depending on the case. What are the causes presbyopia? What symptoms ? What test to diagnose it?
Definition: what is presbyopia?
The presbyopia is a vision disorder which is defined by a natural decrease in near vision accommodation. It usually manifests around the age of 40-45. Concretely, the “focusing” of the eye on a close object is less and less good. “Accommodative power declines with ageexplains Dr. Xavier Subirana, ophthalmologist. The transition between far vision and near vision is therefore much less good”.
What are the symptoms of presbyopia?
The first manifestations of presbyopia appear in the forties. “You start to to tire a little and to forcewithout realizing it, when you read, you have itchy eyes and you have a bit of a headache at the end of the day“explains Dr. Subirana. Gradually, you typically tend to move away from the text you are readingwhich testifies to a less good accommodation, that is to say a less good “focusing” of the eye.
What are the causes of presbyopia?
Concretely, vision loss results in increasing difficulty seeing up close. The more the years pass, the more you have to reach out to read your newspaper or your book. It is not a disease strictly speaking, but quite simply the normal aging of the body: like the rest of the body, the eye becomes less flexible with age. A quick look back at the anatomy of the eye: at its center is the lens, a natural lens that allows the rays of light to be concentrated on the retina. Depending on whether the eye is looking at an object far or near, the lens will change shape slightly so that the image formed on the retina remains sharp. Thanks to this faculty of accommodation, we can, when everything is going well, see both near and far. When the lens ages, it loses some of its flexibility by hardening and the eye no longer manages to accommodate up close: the images become blurred. The patient therefore has problems reading, working on a computer or looking in the mirror.
What is the difference between hyperopia and presbyopia?
Hyperopia and presbyopia are two very similar vision disorders. Nevertheless, farsightedness is often of congenital origin while presbyopia usually appears after 40 years and only concerns near vision. The presbyopic only “sees badly” from afar while the farsighted has trouble focusing both far and near and this can get worse with presbyopia. “Occasionally, farsighted people ignore each other because their deformation is not significant enough to prevent them from seeing clearly. It will then reveal itself with the appearance of presbyopia: the first symptoms will appear earlier than average, under the combined effect of the two deformations“, notes Dr. Timsit, ophthalmologist.
Which test to diagnose presbyopia?
As soon as the first symptoms appear, it is advisable to consult an ophthalmologist. “It is absolutely necessary to avoid buying magnifying glasses which are an easy solution” warns Dr. Subirana. This consultation is the right time to do a first assessment if one has never consulted this specialist and to obtain a suitable correction. “It is also a good opportunity to detect possible glaucomahence the importance of a consultation“explains Dr. Subirana. Presbyopia is diagnosed by the ophthalmologist via a simple near visual acuity test.
What are the treatments for presbyopia?
“There is no treatment for presbyopia, says Dr. Subirana Today we don’t know how to restore accommodation, we don’t know how to prevent the eye from aging. It is about providing solutions to manage a problem.” Among the solutions, we note:
► Glasses. “It is therefore appropriate to adopt progressive lenses that are adapted to our modern life marked by digital uses.“explains Dr. Subirana.
► lentils also exist “in progressive”: “It is the brain that will seek the area of the lens corresponding to the correction it needs at time T for the chosen reading distance.” continues Dr. Subirana.
Which operation for presbyopia?
refractive surgery is also a solution. There are different techniques, some of which may favor the non-directing eye for near vision in order to maintain good distance vision for the directing eye. The procedure lasts between 10 and 15 minutes including just a few seconds for the laser treatment. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis.
“It is impossible to prevent presbyopia”
“It is impossible to prevent presbyopia“says Dr. Subirana. Presbyopia is a natural aging phenomenon and we do not know to date prevent the lens from aging. It was once thought that eye gymnastics could help maintain their flexibility but it seems that is not the case. Likewise, vitamin supplements have never been shown to make any difference. What you can do, however, is save you some fatigue by getting tested regularly, to act at the first signs. From the age of 40, go to the ophthalmologist every year to check if your vision is still at the top or if you need a correction. The sooner you are taken care of, the less you will suffer.
Does the computer accentuate presbyopia?
Contrary to popular belief intensive computer use does not accelerate or trigger the development of presbyopia, nor any visual distortion. Only, he will play the role of revealer. If you have a small visual defect up close, constantly straining your eyes at this focal length will tire them: you risk headaches and watery eyes. It was then that we discovered your presbyopia, but it was not the computer that caused it, it simply highlighted it.
Thanks to Dr Xavier Subirana, ophthalmologist and Dr Timsit, ophthalmologist