Presbyopia
Have you recently started needing reading glasses?
From around the age of 45, most people find themselves needing to wear glasses to read, or to see very fine details. We hold our mobile phones at arm’s length to read them; reach for a torch to read the menu in dimly-lit restaurants; and the instructions on the backs of medicine bottles are almost impossible to read.
This is due to an age-related change to vision, known as “presbyopia.” Presbyopia is progressive, unavoidable, and will affect almost all of us, regardless of whether or not we needed glasses when we were younger, or whether or not we previously had laser eye surgery.
Presbyopia starts by impacting close-up vision (like reading), but over time it also impacts our distant vision, so for example road-signs become harder to read. This is when many people start to need bi-focal glasses, or swap between different pairs of glasses for different activities.
Understanding presbyopia
Causes
Presbyopia is caused when the muscles in your eye harden and lose flexibility, and the lenses begin to change. You’ll first start noticing that you need reading glasses to see close-up objects. Over time, presbyopia will also affect your distance (eg. driving) vision.
Presbyopia is not an illness, and it’s not something that can be avoided: it is the natural effect of the ageing process on your vision, very much similar to the gradual appearance and progress of grey hair or wrinkles.
Testing
During your free assessment, we intend to get to know you and your eyes in great detail. Each assessment is tailored to your specific eyes and needs. The entire process is very thorough, and typically takes around one hour to complete. The diagnostic equipment we use is state-of-the-art, and is able to give results so precise that we can use this same data to create surgical algorithms.
Treatment
At Medownick, the great news is that there is more than one way to treat presbyopia and make your eyes young again.
1. We use our state-of-the-art Schwind technology to perform PresbySmart, a carefully-calibrated and personalised laser solution that enables you to tailor the outcomes to your unique eyes and vision goals. By allowing for the fact that your eyes will continue ageing and changing, patients can expect to enjoy the benefits of PresbySmart for approximately five to 10 years.
2. A second, more permanent way that we treat presbyopia is through an advanced lens replacement. This procedure, which involves gently removing the affected (presbyopic) lens and replacing it with a new intraocular lens (IOL), can give them a long-term vision correction solution that allows them to see clearly at close, middle and distant ranges.
Life after vision correction surgery
Most of our patients describe the experience as literally turning back the clock on their eyes. They are freed from needing to remember to carry both driving glasses and reading glasses, from frowning over the top of multifocals, or shining phone torches on small print, or feeling afraid to drive at night.
Ready to turn back time?
Your first step is simple, and free. Simply click here to book a FREE appointment at our clinic in Richmond, Victoria. During this appointment, we will thoroughly assess your vision, and give you honest guidance and information about your suitability for laser eye surgery. The assessment is free, and there is absolutely no obligation for you to go ahead with any procedure. You've got nothing to lose, but your glasses or contacts.