Presbyopic Myths or the Truth about Aging Eyes

in need for glasses

Eye Exercises can Prevent Presbyopia
No eye exercise can prevent presbyopia. Eating bushels of carrots won’t prevent presbyopia. There is no elixer to prevent presbyopia. Presbyopia is not a disease, but an age-related condition that cannot be prevented.

 

More women than men develop presbyopia

Women are no more prone to presbyopia than men. However, you might notice that women wear reading glasses earlier than men. This is not due to differences in eye anatomy. It’s due to men having longer arms. On average, women’s arms are shorter than men’s. When it becomes increasingly difficult to read at arm’s length, women reach for reading glasses sooner.

 

Farsighted is the same as presbyopia

While both conditions relate to difficulty seeing up close, farsightedness and presbyopia are two different visual conditions with different causes and timelines.

Farsightedness (hyperopia) affects a portion of the population, but presbyopia eventually affects everyone. As you age, the lens in the eye starts to lose its elasticity and you gradually lose the ability to focus on objects up close. Farsightedness can occur at any age, where presbyopia usually occurs after age 40.

 

LASIK surgery cures presbyopia

Laser eye surgery, commonly referred to as LASIK, works very well for certain refractive errors such as astigmatism and myopia, but it will not correct presbyopia. Despite having undergone laser eye surgery, patients in their 40s will inevitable require vision correction for presbyopia.

 

If you have 20/20 vision, you can’t get presbyopia

Presbyopia is quite a surprise for someone who has always had good vision. While the age of onset varies, most people in their 40s first start to have a problem reading fine print, particularly in low light conditions. Other symptoms include needing to hold reading materials at arm’s length and headaches or fatigue from doing close-up work.

Luckily, there are visual corrections available to allow you to see up close, reading glasses, progressives and even contact lenses.

 

 

Maintaining Clear Vision

Age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts commonly cause impaired vision and blindness in older adults. But lifestyle changes, including good nutrition, could help delay or prevent certain eye problems.
Besides adopting a healthy diet, you also can protect your eyes by avoiding intense ultraviolet (UV) light, quitting smoking and getting regular checkups that may help detect chronic diseases contributing to eye problems. Diabetes, for example, increases your risk for age-related eye diseases and may cause diabetic retinopathy.
Regular eye exams, too, are essential for maintaining eye health as you grow older. If eye problems and chronic diseases are detected early enough, appropriate treatment may prevent permanent vision loss.

Save Your Vision Month

March is Save your Vision Month

It is important to be proactive and protect your eyesight and vision for the future. 

For adults in their 20s and 30s, the eyes are generally healthy as are the other organs in the body. Start protecting your vision now.

 Eat right! Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet
 Quit smoking
 Wear sunglasses to protect against harmful ultraviolet radiation.

For adults in their 40s and 50s, you are probably noticing some significant changes in vision, especially close-up. Menopause can increase dry eye symptoms for women.

 Ask family members about eye diseases. Many conditions run in the family
 Invest in accurate and quality reading glasses
 Your general health can have profound effects on your eyes. Be prepared to discuss medications and health conditions with your optometrist

After 60 it is crucial to maintain regular eye examinations. The incidence of many eye diseases increases. Many of these conditions like glaucoma, have no symptoms.

 Schedule annual exams or as recommended.
 Report all changes in general health to the eye doctor. Don’t accept declining vision as just a part of aging.