Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center
Ophthalmology

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital 832-355-1000
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Presbyopia



Presbyopia

Presbyopia is a vision condition in which the lens loses its flexibility, making it difficult to focus on close

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Presbyopia makes it difficult to focus on close objects.

objects. During the early and middle years of life, the crystalline lens of the eye has the ability to focus both near and distant images by getting thicker for near objects and thinner for distant objects. When this ability is lost, presbyopia results.

Symptoms of presbyopia:

  • Blurry close vision that starts after age 40
  • Difficulty adjusting focus when switching from near to distance vision
  • Eye fatigue along with headaches when doing close work
prelex 
As we age, the lenses in the eye lose some of their elasticity. Click on the picture for animation.






Causes of presbyopia:

Age: As we age, the lenses in the eyes lose some of their elasticity, and without elasticity they lose some of their ability to change focus for different distances. Presbyopia may seem to occur suddenly, but the actual loss of flexibility takes place over a number of years. Long before an individual is aware that seeing close up is becoming more difficult, the lenses in the eyes have begun losing their ability to flatten and thicken. Only when the loss of elasticity impairs vision to a noticeable degree is the change recognized. Presbyopia usually becomes noticeable in the early to mid-forties. 

Treatment
Nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia are called refractive errors. They are most commonly treated with glasses and contact lenses. Nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism can in many cases be permanently corrected with laser vision (LASIK). Some surgical modalities are also available for correction of Presbyopia (refactive lens exchange).