Common Misconceptions About Ageing: You Don’t Need to Suffer Reading Glasses
It’s an inevitable problem. One day, all of us will find that reading a newspaper, checking receipts, and even reading restaurant menus no longer comes so easily. Unfortunately, with age comes deteriorating eyesight (among many other things). But that doesn’t mean we have to suffer reading glasses!
Anyone who has reached a certain age will soon begin to notice the loss of their near-vision focusing ability. Eventually, whether after a discussion with your optometrist or simply having had enough of holding documents and books at arm’s length, most people’s first port of call to solve this common problem will be reading glasses.
After all, they’re available far and wide (often at shockingly low prices) and have been tried and tested for centuries. But, of course, reading glasses are not all sunshine and rainbows. In fact, reading glasses are far from an ideal solution.
The trouble with reading glasses
Sure, they help get the job done – when you can find where you last put them. The majority of complaints concerning reading glasses stem from convenience and appearance. Because reading glasses are meant only for near tasks they need to be put on and taken off dozens of times a day.
This can become pretty inconvenient – and outright frustrating – after a while. What’s more, constantly taking off your glasses means you’re more likely to lose them or forget where you last had them!
Of course, many people also take issue with the cosmetic factor of reading glasses. This is especially the case for those lucky enough to have never had to wear glasses before. You might worry that reading glasses might make you look older, for example.
What are the alternatives?
Luckily, there are several alternatives to classic reading glasses.
The first alternative, if you have an existing refractive error, is to purchase a pair of bifocals or varifocals. These lenses feature multiple correcting strengths – for example, you can see distance through the top of the lens and read through the bottom of the lens.
These lenses also come in the form of glasses or contacts. Bifocal contact lenses have a distinct line between the near vision and distance vision areas, while multifocal contacts have a gradual transition between the two.
Monovision contact lenses are another option. These lenses feature one lens that corrects for distance vision, while the other end corrects for near vision. When successful, the brain can combine these two distinct images to achieve clear vision at both near and far distances; however, many people are unable to tolerate monovision.
The risks of contact lenses
But while contact lenses can initially grant greater freedom than reading glasses, they come with their own downsides. The biggest problem with contact lenses is the lack of comfort. Because the lens sits on the surface of the eye, it can cause dryness and irritation. For some patients, this can be alleviated by using rewetting drops throughout the day. For others, it makes wearing the lenses impossible.
A 2016 contact lens survey of 1,000 wearers found that 46% of people dropping out of contact lenses are between the ages of 45 and 64 years, which is the exact time when they are needed most to help with reading vision.
However, the greatest downside of contact lenses is the increased risk of eye infections. Scientific studies indicate that the risk of a potentially sight-threatening infection may be as high as 1 in 500 for extended-wear contact lenses. For daily contacts, the risk is thought to be more in the range of 1 in 2,500 – still higher than the risk of such an infection with Laser Eye Surgery!
The good news is that, whether you have just started browsing for solutions or you have long put up with the annoyances of glasses or contact lenses, there is another option for you.
Finally, a better solution to improve reading vision
Laser Eye Surgery has come a long way over the years. It can now be used to correct the full range of refractive errors – including presbyopia!
Advancements in technology mean that we are able to correct your reading vision, allowing you to get rid of those pesky reading glasses, once and for all. The name of this life-changing procedure? PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision.
PRESBYOND was created in collaboration with our very own founder and expert Laser Eye Surgeon, Professor Dan Reinstein.
It works by correcting one eye mainly for near distance with a little bit of distance, and the other eye mainly for distance vision with a little bit of near. This creates a “blend zone”, allowing the brain to process clear vision across all distances!
Of course, as we have not discovered how to halt or reverse the ageing process, presbyopia will continue to progress, so some patients may need to have a retreatment years later to “fine-tune” the vision. With that being said, many patients will never have to pick up a pair of glasses or contacts again, experiencing years or even decades of clear, high-quality vision.
Want to learn more about PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision? Why not get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators or Book a Consultation today?