Does the pictures resonate with you? If you are around or above the age of 40, it is quite the norm to experience the onset of presbyopia (pres·by·o·pi·a). It is a condition caused by the loss of flexibility (accommodation) of the crystalline lens and ciliary muscle of the eye, resulting in the inability to focus sharply on nearby objects.
Depending on your refractive status and lifestyle, there are many different ways to cope/manage the signs and symptoms.
Removing your glasses to read
Rejoice and gloat for those who are mildly shortsighted! Remove your glasses and you can read at a fairly comfortable distance. NO squinting your eyes or stretching your hand. Put your glasses back on when you need to see far. BUT….. all your peers and colleagues will know that you are in need of wearing glasses though.
Wear reading glasses
A very pragmatic solution to solve this reading issue. However do note that most readers are a fixed focus, meaning objects will be in precise focus for the distance that it has been prescribed for and for other distances, its starts to blur 10cm from the prescribed distance. The modern working adult deals a multitude of near task, ranging from the fancy Macs that is usually slightly past arm’s length on your table, to your Samsung mobile phone in your hand. However, your optometrist/optician is able to prescribe you reading glasses with a variable range. Extended range readers will be excellent for those who work long hours on the computer, dealing with people at their desk etc. Readers, regardless extended range or not does not allow you to walk around comfortably with them.
Progressives
Progressives as it name implies, has a progressively changing prescription from distance to near. This reduces the need for the individual to remove his/her glasses when switching visual task . Simply by adjusting your head position and eye gaze, you can see clearly and sharply at all distances. However, progressive lenses are very much like tailored clothes. The exchange of your requirements between you and your optometrist/optician is very important to help him/her tailor the glasses to match your visual needs. It is also not unusual that he/her may recommend a reader to supplement your progressives.
Multifocal Contact Lenses
Multifocal lenses work pretty well these days. If well fitted, we are usually able to get pretty good intermediate and distance vision. There is minimal head-eye coordination required. However, if you need to read fine prints or love reading very close, you may need a pair of readers to supplement it. With modern contact lens technology, this is currently our preferred lens of choice for contact lens users.
Monovision Contact Lenses
Monovision contact lenses is so named such that one of the eyes is corrected for distance and the other for near. It typically works fairly well with emerging presbyopes but as the presbyopia increases with age, patients start to find an obvious disparity in clarity between both eyes.
Speak to your optometrist and find out more about your options. If you do not have someone to go to, do drop by Precision Optics at United Square. It is an optometrists only practice. We listen and we solve.
Precision Optics @ United Square 