I have trouble reading but otherwise see pretty well far away.
Presbyopia (Reading Problems) Nearsightedness
Refers
to the natural decrease in the eyes’ ability to see up close as
we get older. The first symptoms people with presbyopia typically notice
are difficulty reading fine print, particularly in low light conditions,
and blurred vision close-up, and momentarily blurred vision when transitioning
from a far or near object (and vice versa). Even a patient with perfect
vision (Emmetropia) all their life will require glasses to help them read,
usually at some point in the early to mid forties.
Presbyopia starts to become noticeable usually at around age 40 and
it affects everyone. Nearsighted
people (with Myopia) can usually remove their glasses, hold the print
up close, and read without glasses or have bifocals put in their distance
glasses. Slightly farsighted
people (with Hyperopia) will initially just need glasses to read but
as they get older, they will need them for near and far. Moderately
or severely farsighted people will already be wearing glasses for distance
but will now need either bifocals or two separate pairs of glasses.
Normal sighted people (called Emmetropia) who have never needed glasses
typically will begin to need them in order to read small print. Presbyopia
gets worse as we get older and thus patients require changes in reading
power every few years. If you are near age 40 or older, your laser eye
surgeon should discuss Presbyopia with you and explain your options
to minimize this annoying decrease in your near (reading) vision.
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Presbyopia
Video: Surgical Procedures to reduce the symptoms
*Conductive
Keratoplasty or CK and monovision LASIK
are the only two procedures approved by the FDA for treating Presbyopia,
although this does not mean PRK cannot be utilized. Although neither
Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) nor laser vision monovision (LASIK or PRK)
“cure” Presbyopia, both procedures can reduce the need for
reading glasses for every day activities like reading a menu or looking
at a cell phone.
With
“monovision” (or “blended vision”) laser eye
surgery, one eye is focused better for reading while the other eye is
focused primarily for distance. This is a common option for patients
over the age of 40 who are considering laser vision surgery to correct
their nearsightedness
or farsightedness,
with or without astigmatism. Monovision is also an option for patients
who have always had natural excellent distance vision (Emmetropia) and
desire to be able to read without glasses.
The
only FDA-approved procedure for the correction of Presbyopia in emmetropic
eyes (normal eyes requiring no glasses) is Conductive Keratoplasty (CK)
where radio-frequency energy is applied to 8 spots in the cornea to
refocus one eye for a reading focus. The CK procedure results in a milder
form of monovision than the typical laser procedure and it is often
better tolerated by the patient because the CK eye is not usually as
blurred for distance as it would be with laser induced monovision. However,
not all patients are comfortable with mono or blended vision and it
is best to have this demonstrated with either contact lenses or glasses
before choosing this option.
Although
not FDA-approved, PRK
is considered an “off label” use of the FDA-approved lasers.
In fact, many refractive eye surgeons have used PRK and LASIK (which
has now approved by the FDA) in both nearsighted and farsighted eyes
to create monovision, with one eye focused for distance and the other
focused for near vision.
Laser
eye surgery may not always be the best option so it is important to
find an experienced eye surgeon like the ones in the Trusted
LASIK Surgeons Directory, most of whom perform a variety of refractive
surgery procedures to give patients a more complete range of options.
To learn more about these vision correction surgical treatments for
Presbyopia, please clink on the links below:
To
find a vision correction expert surgeon who has qualified to be listed
at Trusted LASIK surgeons in another area, please visit:
Find
a Trusted LASIK Eye Surgeon
The
screening process and standards used by Trusted LASIK Surgeons, can
be found at:
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Are Lasik Eye Surgeons Qualified at TLS