Chapter 11- Options for Presbyopia
Presbyopia is a condition in which the lens inside the eye can not change power and allow the person to see well at near. This usually occurs in individuals over the age of 40.
There are several options for the treatment of presbyopia, and they are as follows:
Glasses-
- If you see well at distance you can use readers for close. You could use glasses that are bifocals with the distance lens not having any power and the near lens having the power.
- If you need glasses for distance, you could have one pair for distance and a second pair for near. Another option is to wear one pair of glasses that are bifocal with a distance and near correction.
Contact lens-
- You could wear contacts for the full distance correction and wear readers for near
- You could wear a full distance correction for the dominant distance eye and wear a near correction on the non-dominant eye,
- You could wear a multifocal contact that corrects for both distance and near.
Excimer laser refractive surgery-
- You could be treated for the full distance correction and wear readers for near
- You could have a full distance correction for the dominant distance eye and a near correction on the non-dominant near eye.
Intraocular lens- the crystalline lens just behind the pupil can be removed and a plastic lens replacement can be put into the eye.
- The lens correction could be set both eyes for distance and wear readers for near.
- One eye could be set distance (dominant eye) and the other eye for near (non-dominant eye)
- There are three styles of lens implants that allow the person to see distance and near from each eye and are currently approved for use in the U.S. Your doctor will need to discuss with you the issues of multifocal lenses, such as halo and glare. In addition, your doctor will need to discuss the issues of infection, inflammation, retinal detachment and secondary membrane related to the operation of lens removal and intraocular lens placement. This surgery is similar to cataract surgery.
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