Presbyopia treatment options may include eyeglasses, contact lenses, and surgery; choose the best based on the condition and patients opinion.
Presbyopia treatment options
There are many options of treatment available for presbyopia, they are:
- Eye glasses
- Contact lenses
- Surgery
Eye glasses for Presbyopia
Eyeglasses with bifocal or progressive addition lenses (PALs) are the most common used presbyopia correction.
Bifocal means two focal points: the main part of the spectacle lens contains power for a distance vision, while the lower portion of the spectacle lens contains the power for close vision.
Progressive addition lenses (PALs) are slightly similar to bifocal lenses, but they provide a more gradual power transition between the two long and short distances, without any visible line between them.
Reading glasses is another choice for presbyopia. Bifocals and PALs, which are usually, wear most of the time all day; whereas reading glasses is, worn just during close work.
Contact lenses of Presbyopia
Presbyopic's can also choose multi-focal contact lenses, available in gas permeable or soft lens materials. Another type of contact lens available for the correction of presbyopia is a mono-vision, in which one eye is prescribing for distance vision, and the other eye is prescribing for near vision. The brain can learn and choose one eye or the other for different tasks (short and long distance). Some people are feeling happy with this solution, whereas others feel unhappy and complain of reduced visual clarity with mono-vision.
Surgery for Presbyopia
For those who do not want to use glasses or contact lenses, doctors may suggest a surgical procedure for the correction of presbyopia. Artificial lens (IOLs for cataract surgery) implants such as multi-focal lenses or accommodating lenses that replace the eye's natural lens.
Conductive keratoplasty or NearVision CK treatment utilizes radio waves to create large curvature in the cornea for a higher "+" power to improve near vision. Performing this procedure is on one eye only for a mono-vision correction. Studies have shown that Near Vision CK effectively correct presbyopia, but the correction is temporary and loss’s effectiveness over time.
LASIK also can perform to create a mono-vision, in which one eye is correct for near vision while the other eye is for distance vision. As the result, the brain can merge these two images, and create a blend zone (which is in focus for both eyes). This helps the patient to see close, intermediate and distance objects without glasses.
PresbyLASIK - Multifocal LASIK is a laser-vision correction surgery that changes the eye’s cornea shape to create different power zones for seeing at close and distance objects.
Multifocal LASIK can create more than one power on the front surface of the eye, which helps to see simultaneously through different zones providing clearer near, intermediate and distance vision. The brain can select the correct zone it needs to see through to get the sharpest vision, depending on whether an object is near, intermediate or far away.