Presbyopia treatment There are probably people around you who have blurred vision in near objects with age. Usually, presbyopia begins at the age of 40 years and may first show itself by reading a book, newspaper or threading a needle more difficult. When you bring the book closer to read, or you experience eye fatigue and headache while reading or doing detailed work at a close distance, it may be a sign of the onset of presbyopia. Symptoms of presbyopia - Mild or severe headache - Squinting when reading or working closely - Tired eyes while reading - Difficulty in reading numbers or small letters at a close distance - Moving mobile phones or texts away from the eyes when viewing at a greater distance than before - Reduced visibility in low light or at night ### How is presbyopia caused? The human eye is made up of different parts. In the front part of the eye, we first have the cornea, which is a transparent layer that acts like a convex lens and focuses light on the retina. At the back of the cornea, we have a colorless and flexible object called the lens, which can change its shape with the help of the muscle fibers connected to it, and forms another part of the optical system of the eye. Therefore, the role of the eye lens is to accurately focus light to clearly see objects, especially at close distances. In presbyopia, a disorder occurs in the lens part of the eye. In this case, the lens is no longer able to change its shape as it ages and it hardens. Therefore, it cannot contract well to see close objects, and in this case, people face vision problems while doing close tasks. Presbyopia begins at the age of 40. This process continues until the age of 65, in which case the maximum flexibility of the eye lens is lost. This is a natural occurrence and like other changes in the body with age, the ability and efficiency of the organs decreases. This also happens in the eyes. There is currently no way to prevent this. But by observing some points, this process can be slowed down and premature aging can be prevented. The following tips are recommended for prevention: - Absence of alcohol and smoking - Appropriate and healthy diet - Using sunglasses outside the home Of course, in some situations, presbyopia may occur earlier. ### Factors causing presbyopia - Increasing age - Existence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, multiple sclerosis or MS, Myasen, tenygravis, anemia or anemia - Taking some drugs such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, diuretics and antihistamines - Alcohol consumption Among the mentioned cases, the existence of diseases and the use of the mentioned drugs can be effective in the occurrence of premature presbyopia. Also, the camera of the eyes can be mentioned as one of the factors that cause early presbyopia symptoms. Eye injuries may also contribute to premature aging. Premature aging is more common in women. Also, the risk of premature presbyopia is higher in people who have undergone intraocular surgeries. ### Ways to treat presbyopia There are ways to treat presbyopia. The choice of each method depends on the condition of your eyes, and the best solution is chosen by the ophthalmologist after a complete examination. - #### Single vision glasses The first suggestion to solve this problem is to use glasses. Using monofocal glasses is a safe way to treat presbyopia. In this case, glasses are prescribed for doing close work, and the person must wear glasses every time when doing close work. The use of reading or single vision glasses is recommended for people who do not have a history of eye problems and myopia and astigmatism before and who did not wear glasses. - #### double vision or bifocal glasses In these glasses, the lens used has the ability to see both far and near at the same time. There is a line in the middle which is visible and it is designed above the line of the lens for seeing distant objects and at the bottom of the line of the lens for near vision. These glasses are a good choice for people who have problems with both near and far vision. - #### Progressive glasses These glasses have progressive lenses and work similarly to bifocals. The difference in their appearance is that there is no middle line of the lens and it is better in terms of beauty. As their name suggests, these lenses gradually correct far and near vision from top to bottom. - #### Glasses with trifocal lenses In these lenses, in addition to near vision and far vision, intermediate vision is also corrected. Like its name, it consists of three parts that can have a visible border or not. - #### Contact lenses For some people, wearing glasses may not be pleasant. The next choice for them is contact lenses. These lenses in the treatment of presbyopia include two categories: - Monovision lenses - Multifocal lenses In monovision lenses similar to surgery, as we discussed in the monovision article, one eye is adjusted for distance and one eye for near. Tolerating this state may seem a little difficult at first, but after a while, the brain gets used to it. **Read more: One eye for far One eye for near** In multifocal lenses, these lenses simultaneously correct far and near vision in each eye. The disadvantage of this method compared to other methods is that the sharpness is a little less. If a person needs very high precision for his near vision, like some jobs that require the most acuity in his near work, it is better not to choose this method. - #### Laser surgery Monovision method is used in this surgery. In this case, the surgeon uses the monovision method by cutting the cornea and changing its shape to correct the person's vision and adjusts one eye for distance and the other eye for near. Of course, the examination and opinion of the ophthalmologist in choosing this method determines the treatment method. Before performing the surgery with vision glasses, similar conditions are drawn for the patient after the operation, and if he tolerates it, the decision is made to perform the surgery. - #### intraocular lens implantation surgery In this method, the natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an artificial lens in the eye. There are different types of intraocular lenses. Some of these lenses provide simultaneous near and far vision. Some of them also have the possibility of changing the shape of the implanted artificial lens. In this method, after the surgery, the need to use glasses may still exist depending on the type of lens or the condition of the patient's eyes. Finally, presbyopia is a progressive disorder over time. You can prevent its premature occurrence by following the mentioned tips and regular periodic examinations. If you feel that you are experiencing the symptoms of presbyopia, be sure to get examined so that the best treatment can be offered to you.