At What Age Can I Expect to Need Reading Glasses?
As we get older, most of us will start to notice changes in ourselves. Whether it’s the changing colour of our hair, the number of wrinkles around our eyes, or the strength of our joints, we can all expect to experience several physical changes eventually. But what about changes to our vision? At what age can we expect to need reading glasses?
Unfortunately, deteriorating vision is a natural part of the body’s ageing process. Over the years, you may find yourself increasingly squinting and straining to read receipts and menus. But while those in denial may choose to put this ever-common occurrence down to poor lighting, the correct medical term is presbyopia – which fittingly translates loosely to “old eye”.
Presbyopia is caused by a loss of elasticity in the eye’s lenses and a weakening of the muscles responsible for focusing. As a result, it becomes increasingly difficult to focus on objects close to us (including those pesky receipts and menus).
While the effects of these changes may be irritating, to say the least, it is important to remember that presbyopia is a normal part of the ageing process that most people will experience eventually. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be treated…
How Can I Manage Presbyopia?
There are several approaches to dealing with presbyopia. Some people will simply choose to ignore it and hope the side effects will resolve themselves over time. Of course, this isn’t a particularly helpful approach…
But the vast majority of people will ultimately turn to reading glasses. Having accepted that the gradual decline in their vision may well need addressing, it is time to take action. This might mean buying a pair of cheap readers from the supermarket or heading into your optician’s for an expert opinion.
But a growing number will go a step further. These people often take action to preserve what they have (and in many cases, even turn back the years!).
The onset of presbyopia and the speed of its progression can vary significantly from person to person. Presbyopia was once thought to be out of our control, even with the help of the latest refractive treatments.
But developments in Laser Eye Surgery turned this assumption on its head. Today, almost all of us have the opportunity to potentially sustain high-quality vision – even after presbyopia has set in!
The question is, when will you experience presbyopia?
As stated above, the onset of presbyopia can vary significantly; however, the signs typically start to become noticeable between the ages of 40 and 50.
The earliest signs of presbyopia may include finding it difficult to distinguish objects and text in your near field of vision. This can cause you to strain your eyes when reading books or computer screens which, in turn, can cause headaches. You may also notice that you have to increase the size of the text on your phones, tablets, or computers.
The onset and severity of presbyopia can also be influenced by several factors. The overall health of your vision can play a particular role. For example, having long-sightedness, a job that requires you to perform a lot of close-up tasks, or over-exposure to UV rays may all cause presbyopia to develop earlier.
On the other hand, individuals with good vision who take good care of their eyes may find that they do not experience presbyopia until relatively old age. Nonetheless, the effects of presbyopia will likely make themselves known eventually.
The time of onset and the exact symptoms may well vary, but once you start to see the signs, it’s safe to say the effects will only worsen over time. For many people, the solution to the age-related decline in vision is to invest in a pair (or three) of reading glasses. But as we mentioned earlier, there is another option.
PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision
First developed in 2005 by our very own founder and expert surgeon, Professor Dan Reinstein, PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision offers an alternative option for managing presbyopia. Since first being introduced right here at London Vision Clinic, PRESBYOND® has liberated tens of thousands of people from the effects of presbyopia and the restrictions of their reading glasses.
This revolutionary Laser Eye Surgery technique involves correcting each eye in a slightly different way. While one eye is corrected mainly for distance vision, the other eye is corrected mostly for near vision. This results in a “blend zone” which allows your brain to process clear images across all fields of vision.
If you’d like to learn more about PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision, get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators today. To find out if you could be suitable for treatment, Book a Consultation!
