Treatable eye conditions: presbyopia
Presbyopia unravelled
Professor Reinstein explains…
Presbyopia is a word that comes from the Greek for ‘old eye’. It is when the zoom lens which is inside the eye becomes unable to change the focus of the eye from distance to near.
Every single human being eventually gets presbyopia. Most people start to notice in their 40’s.
The typical things that normal sighted people notice first is that even though the distance vision remains clear as it has been all their lives, now they are having to start to hold things further away to be able to see them up close.
Eventually the arm is just not long enough and they have to buy a pair of ‘readers’ from the pharmacy or the supermarket to be able to see up close.
If people are short-sighted to start with, they find that with their distance correction they cant zoom up close any more so need to take their glasses off to read – because they are short sighted and therefore focused at close and not dependent on the zoom lens to do the focusing for near.
If people are long-sighted to start with, both distance and near are ok when younger, but the near vision starts to get blurry at an earlier age – even in the 30’s. This is because the zoom lens is being used just to see at distance and there isn’t enough power to get things to go in focus up close. So the near vision goes first and then eventually the distance also starts to get blurry so they need glasses for both distance and near.
The simplest option is to get ready-readers from the supermarket, but the healthiest option is to see an optician or optometrist to get the eyes checked thoroughly for glaucoma and other problems such as macular degeneration and at the same time get advice on reading glasses. For most people who see well all their lives this will be the first time they ever see an eyecare professional for an eye examination. The more traditional way of surgically correcting presbyopia (ageing eyes) is to remove the natural lens and get a permanent lens replacement with a bifocal or trifocal multifocal artificial plastic lens implanted inside the eye.
However, the most modern way of correcting presbyopia now is by a modified laser eye surgery technique called PRESBYOND Laser Blended Vision which is an improvement on the the original standard LASIK laser eye surgery that is used for distance correction in younger people. PRESBYOND is different from standard LASIK and is a significant advance on lens replacement surgery because it is much less invasive and therefore safer, it is more accurate at achieving 20/20 at distance and near, it has less side effects and provides better night vision and it is adjustable and reversible as the eye ages, and PRESBYOND is even less expensive than lens replacement surgery.
Over 95% of people are suitable candidates for PRESBYOND LASIK and the procedure takes 10 minutes in both eyes, heals in a few hours and people are reading small print already the next morning. PERSBYOND is the ‘Star-Trek’ method of presbyopia correction, available already in the 21st century.
The common term for the deterioration of vision caused by ageing is presbyopia, which is also known as ‘old eye’ (thank god it’s not the other way round).
As we reach early middle age (around 40), our eyes become less able to adjust our vision to different distances. This is because the lens in the eye is gradually stiffening, while at the same time the muscles that allow it to change focus are becoming weaker.
Because it’s a natural part of ageing, presbyopia affects everyone, and it only gets worse as we get older. If you’re in this age group, you’re probably already seeing the effects. Classically, you’ll realise that your near vision is deteriorating. You begin to hold books and newspapers further and further from your eyes, until eventually, your arms aren’t long enough to let you focus.
If this sounds familiar to you then you’ll be thinking it’s time for the dreaded reading glasses or bifocals — an often painful reminder of the years creeping up on you.
Hang on a minute, can Laser Eye Surgery stop time and keep my eyes young?
People often ask how long the effects of Laser Eye Surgery will last — will they wear off? The answer is no: the effects are permanent. The trouble is, we’re all getting older, and the ageing process does affect the performance of our eyes. You may be confused as you’ve already been told Laser Eye Surgery is powerless against ageing eyes; it’s true — except at the London Vision Clinic.
Professor Reinstein explains…
Presbyopia is a word that comes from the Greek for ‘old eye’. It is when the zoom lens which is inside the eye becomes unable to change the focus of the eye from distance to near.
Every single human being eventually gets presbyopia. Most people start to notice in their 40’s.
The typical things that normal sighted people notice first is that even though the distance vision remains clear as it has been all their lives, now they are having to start to hold things further away to be able to see them up close.
Eventually the arm is just not long enough and they have to buy a pair of ‘readers’ from the pharmacy or the supermarket to be able to see up close.
If people are short-sighted to start with, they find that with their distance correction they cant zoom up close any more so need to take their glasses off to read – because they are short sighted and therefore focused at close and not dependent on the zoom lens to do the focusing for near.
If people are long-sighted to start with, both distance and near are ok when younger, but the near vision starts to get blurry at an earlier age – even in the 30’s. This is because the zoom lens is being used just to see at distance and there isn’t enough power to get things to go in focus up close. So the near vision goes first and then eventually the distance also starts to get blurry so they need glasses for both distance and near.
The simplest option is to get ready-readers from the supermarket, but the healthiest option is to see an optician or optometrist to get the eyes checked thoroughly for glaucoma and other problems such as macular degeneration and at the same time get advice on reading glasses. For most people who see well all their lives this will be the first time they ever see an eyecare professional for an eye examination. The more traditional way of surgically correcting presbyopia (ageing eyes) is to remove the natural lens and get a permanent lens replacement with a bifocal or trifocal multifocal artificial plastic lens implanted inside the eye.
However, the most modern way of correcting presbyopia now is by a modified laser eye surgery technique called PRESBYOND Laser Blended Vision which is an improvement on the the original standard LASIK laser eye surgery that is used for distance correction in younger people. PRESBYOND is different from standard LASIK and is a significant advance on lens replacement surgery because it is much less invasive and therefore safer, it is more accurate at achieving 20/20 at distance and near, it has less side effects and provides better night vision and it is adjustable and reversible as the eye ages, and PRESBYOND is even less expensive than lens replacement surgery.
Over 95% of people are suitable candidates for PRESBYOND LASIK and the procedure takes 10 minutes in both eyes, heals in a few hours and people are reading small print already the next morning. PERSBYOND is the ‘Star-Trek’ method of presbyopia correction, available already in the 21st century.
Presbyopia treatment
We can’t stop you getting older. But contrary to what you may have heard, Laser Eye Surgery can counter the effects of presbyopia. Other surgeons are forced to resort to synthetic lenses, inserted surgically into the eye. But the London Vision Clinic has pioneered a revolutionary Laser Eye Surgery technique called PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision that allows most patients to reduce their dependency on reading glasses for at least a number of years, if not for good.
PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision, which has been available at London Vision Clinic since 2004, adjusts the eyes so that both eyes work together at distance and at near, while one works mainly at a distance, but a little up close, while the other works mainly up close, but a little at distance. Unlike with monovision, patients with PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision retain stereo vision.
The brain soon adapts to this system, combining the two images so that you can once again see both near and far without effort. In most cases, the brain is able to compensate, giving you excellent depth of focus and overall visual acuity, without glasses or contact lenses.
So if you wear reading glasses, varifocals, or bifocals (or are trying to put them off), we can almost certainly help. To find out more, call us on 0207 224 1005 to speak to a Patient Care Coordinator, or complete a quick online contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
