Presbyopia Treatments & Surgery

Goal Of the Procedure & Treatment

The goal is to minimize your dependence on corrective lenses and improve your visual focus. The procedure is quick and has minimal recovery time. As an added benefit, you’re at no risk of developing cataracts.

You may qualify for refractive lens exchange surgery if you’re 45 or older and have a strong prescription for your corrective lenses. The experts at Specialty Eye Institute will have a discussion with you about your symptoms and answer any questions you have about treatment plans to come up with the option that is best for you.

What is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is the hardening of the lens that makes it difficult to see objects up close. Unlike myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism, which are all caused by genetic and environmental factors, presbyopia develops during the natural course of aging. The word presbyopia literally means aging eyes. The lens in your eye bends light to focus on the retina. The retina then converts light into signals that are sent to the brain where they are interpreted as images. In younger eyes, the lens is flexible and can change shape, resulting in changing the focus of the lens.

As we age, the lens hardens and it becomes difficult to focus on close-up objects, which can result in blurry vision. Our team of ophthalmologists offer refractive lens exchange surgery and treatments for presbyopia in areas such as Adrian, Jackson, Ann Arbor, Toledo, and Kalamazoo. Our doctors will perform an evaluation of your eyes to diagnose the source of the vision issues. Give our team a call by phone at (877) 852-8463 to discuss available treatments for presbyopia.

Symptoms of Presbyopia

Most people develop symptoms of this condition between the ages of 40 and 50. These indications may include:

• Inability to focus on small objects or fine print
• Needing to hold objects further away to see them clearly
• Difficulty seeing in low light
• Needing more light to read
• Straining eyes while reading for extended periods of time
• Headaches after doing work up close
• Blurry vision when transitioning between viewing distances

Presbyopia Risk Factors

Presbyopia is incredibly common, especially for people 40 or older. However, some people can develop premature presbyopia before the age of 40. There are certain risk factors that contribute to developing premature presbyopia that you should be aware of:

• Smoking
• Significant sun exposure
• Alcoholism
• Anemia
• An unhealthy diet
• Early menopause
• Working in front of a screen for extended periods
• Staring at screens for a significant time
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Family history of eye disease