Presbyopia Old Eyes

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Presbyopia (Old Eyes) Treatment

Affects more than 90% of people over 45 years old

Can be corrected with 3 options: glasses, contact lenses, or surgery

What is Presbyopia?

Also known as "old eyes," presbyopia is a refractive error caused by the loss of elasticity in the crystalline lens, the natural lens of the eye. This lens allows the eye to focus on images at different distances. As a result, the capacity for accommodation (focusing on nearby objects) decreases.

Presbyopia typically manifests around the age of 40-45 and leads to difficulty seeing objects up close with clarity. It is a natural degenerative process of the eye that affects almost everyone eventually.

What Causes Presbyopia?

The crystalline lens in the eye is like the zoom of a camera. It changes its shape and optical power to focus on nearby objects. In young individuals, it is highly flexible, but as we age, the crystalline lens becomes more rigid, and its ability to contract (accommodation) gradually diminishes. This leads to presbyopia, a condition related to the aging of the eye structure.

Similar to cataracts, presbyopia is caused by the natural aging of the crystalline lens, which is essential for clear vision.

How Can Presbyopia Be Prevented?

Presbyopia cannot be prevented because it is tied to the eye’s aging process. Like other parts of the body, the eyes evolve with age. Since presbyopia affects more than 90% of people over 45, it is important to have regular eye exams, especially after 40. This is when the typical symptoms of presbyopia start to appear, and other age-related eye diseases begin to develop.

Symptoms of Presbyopia

Common symptoms of presbyopia include:

  • Difficulty focusing on objects up close (less than 1 meter away).
  • The need to move reading materials (books, phones) away to see them better.
  • A sensation that text is blurry or that the letters are "dancing."
  • Headaches after reading or working for long periods.
  • Eye strain, especially at the end of the day or in low-light conditions (e.g., redness, dry eyes, stinging, or tearing).

As presbyopia progresses, its impact on daily life becomes more significant, although it can be intermittent. Some patients may notice an improvement in focusing ability temporarily, followed by a worsening of symptoms.

Associated Treatments

Although presbyopia cannot be cured, there are several methods to alleviate the difficulty of focusing: