Causative & risk factors
Advancing age causes the lens to harden and become much less flexible than it normally is. Rarely certain conditions such as diabetes, hypermetropia, heart problems etc. can cause a person to develop presbyopia before the age of 40 years. Certain medications such as antidepressants, antihistamines and diuretics can also cause the lens to harden leading to presbyopia.
Clinical presentation
While reading, a person with presbyopia experiences blurring of vision. Hence they tend to hold reading material at distant in order to read clearly. Eyestrain or headache may be experienced after reading or doing close work.
Investigations
Presbyopia can be diagnosed on the basis of an eye exam.
Treatment
There is no cure for presbyopia, but it can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Bifocal glasses or contact lenses can be prescribed. Bifocal eyeglasses have 2 prescriptions in the same spectacle, one for near vision and the other for distant. The vision can be corrected by means of a laser surgery.
A newer procedure known as conductive keratoplasty is also available. In this procedure radio waves are used to reshape the cornea.
Recent updates
Monovision is a new technique in which 1 eye is corrected for distant vision and the other is corrected for near vision.
