Presbyopia is a decrease in the accommodative abilities of the eye, which can be produced quickly, but can occur gradually. A person who used to see well near begins to see several times worse, most often people begin to notice it after 60 years.
What is presbyopia?
Doctors believe that presbyopia is not a disease, but these are ordinary processes that occur in the human body, while changes cannot be attributed to pathologies, this is a natural process. Treatment may slightly improve the patient’s condition, but it is unlikely to fully restore vision.
This process can be slowed down a little, in addition, patients at risk are recommended to visit an ophthalmologist as often as possible. Let's take a closer look at the concept of eye presbyopia, what it is and what the consequences may be from this process.
Who is at risk and factors affecting the presbyopia process
The process can be accompanied by various diseases, and external factors that a person does not pay special attention to can also affect the development of presbyopia. Let's consider them in more detail:
- Aged eye diseases such as glaucoma or cataracts.
- The process of vision loss may begin due to diabetes.
- Genetic predisposition stands out in people after 45 years.
- Permanent work that requires eye strain or work with small details.
- Diseases of the heart and brain.
- Continuous use of certain medications for various purposes.
- Living in difficult regions where large temperature differences.
- Poor nutrition and inappropriate living conditions.
The process of vision loss can begin to develop not only in people over 60, but also in adolescents, but such cases are quite rare.
What is the essence of presbyopia?
Presbyopia is an abnormality of eye refraction that comes with age. The term refraction of the eye means a violation of the refraction of light in an optical system. This entire eye system consists of the following components: cornea, iris, lens, vitreous.
The light passes through all the components and enters the retina, where then the process of conversion of light particles into nerve impulses that form the images takes place.
Causes of Presbyopia
Presbyopia is the aging of the lens, which occurs naturally due to the age of the person. Of course, such changes cannot occur abruptly; they appear gradually. The muscles of the eye become weaker, as a result of which the lens begins to bend, as a result, a person begins to lose the ability to focus at different distances.
If you pay attention to the process of vision loss in time, you can stop it. If there is a suspicion that the patient develops presbyopia, the reasons identified by doctors are mainly as follows:
- First of all, poor nutrition and lack of vitamins in the human body.
- Changes in the normal anatomy of the eye, this can happen in youth, for example, myopia and farsightedness become the main companions of the presbyopia process.
- Loss of ability to focus on the subject associated with nerve disorders.
Signs of Presbyopia
Recognizing presbyopia is not difficult: a person gradually begins to lose the ability to recognize objects. Most often, people pay attention to vision loss when reading, the letters in the book begin to blur, and you can only see what is written on the sheet by moving the book away. Vision becomes somewhat blurred, but this may be an individual manifestation.
Presbyopia can be a complication of hyperopia or myopia. With congenital farsightedness, vision decreases not only with close reading of the book, but also distant. Patients who suffer from myopia may not initially notice the development of presbyopia.
Symptoms of Presbyopia
As a rule, patients begin to turn to an ophthalmologist when the ability to recognize near the outline of a small object is lost. When it begins to move away from the eyes, then it takes on its shape, and you can recognize the subject in question. Problems can also occur in bright light, clarity of vision is lost due to the narrowing of the pupil and focus occurs in the depths of the eyeball.
A person may complain of fogging during the transfer of gaze from one point to another. Additionally, the following symptoms can be distinguished:
- Frequent headaches.
- Discomfort in the eye area.
- Strabismus development.
- Bifurcation in the eyes.
Complications and consequences of presbyopia
Despite the fact that the process of presbyopia manifests itself in old age, it causes a lot of problems to a person and prevents him from leading a full-fledged lifestyle. In order to timely identify the main cause of vision loss, you should seek the help of doctors who will diagnose and prescribe the right treatment, in another case, complications may begin to develop:
- With presbyopia, the patient experiences severe headaches and constant dizziness.
- There are certain difficulties in reading and writing.
Diagnosis of Presbyopia
If there is a suspicion that a person develops presbyopia, treatment, causes, symptoms - this is the most basic thing that you need to pay attention to. An experienced ophthalmologist will first prescribe these types of diagnostics:
- Initially, a complete history of complaints is collected. The patient should completely convey to the doctor all his sensations and indicate when changes began to occur with vision.
- The doctor must inquire about the age of the patient, to find out whether he has had cases of eye injuries or surgery on his organs of vision, whether the patient suffers from mental disorders.
- The next step will be a visometry, which determines the clarity of vision. For this, Sintsev-Golovin tables are used: letters, pictures or half rings are displayed on them.
- Automatic refractometry is considered to be a popular method for researching vision. Considering that presbyopia is also refraction of the eye, the process of light refraction in the patient’s optical system is studied using a special apparatus. The patient puts his head on the device and fixes it in one position, the refractometer emits infrared light. During this procedure, the doctor monitors the changes, while the patient does not experience any pain.
- Ophthalmometry is considered a more complicated method when the radii of curvature and the acting force are measured.
- Ultrasound biometry is performed using ultrasound studies. Using this method, you can study the anterior chamber of the eye, as well as examine the iris in more detail and even determine the axis of the eyeballs.
- Eye biomicroscopy allows an ophthalmologist to get a more complete picture of the disease. For this, a special ophthalmic microscope and a lighting device are used.
- You can check your vision on a photo portrait - this is a special device for diagnosis. Through it, the patient looks at tables located at different distances.
- Computer keratotopography helps to examine the cornea using laser beams.
- Ophthalmoscopy examines the fundus using a special apparatus. This method makes it possible to study the state of the retina and optic nerve, as well as to study the vessels of the fundus.
- When presbyopia is suspected, diagnosis and treatment may consist in selecting suitable lenses, since each eye may require its own degree of refraction.
Presbyopia Treatment
To conduct vision correction, the doctor prescribes the patient lenses or glasses. If previously there were no problems, then reading glasses are prescribed. Also, if there is a presbyopia of both eyes, treatment, exercises for the eyes in the aggregate will help to return vision not fully, but will definitely improve it, for this, doctors are developing whole complexes of gymnastics for the eyes.
In the event that no improvement occurs, the patient undergoes surgery. Surgical treatment can be laser, in which the shape of the cornea is changed using an optical beam. Also, with the help of surgical intervention, implantation of an artificial lens is performed. It is important to remember about proper fortified nutrition.
Prevention of Presbyopia
Having figured out exactly how presbyopia influences a person’s life, what it is, it is worthwhile to carefully study the recommendations for prevention:
- Try to relax the eyelids as much as possible while reading or while writing, often enough to blink them. This time is enough for the eyes to rest.
- If the manhole does not have enough moisture, then special drops can be used.
- Monitor the lighting mode, eye strain should be in good light.
- Interrupt work to do gymnastics for the eyes. It will be enough to devote only 10 minutes during three hours of work.
- Correct vision with the help of a specialist, only he can choose the right glasses or lenses.
- Physical activity in the form of swimming, walking in the park, jogging.
- A full-fledged diet, in which all substances must be present, without which a person will not be able to live and develop.
As you can see, if you are attentive to your health and seek qualified help in a timely manner, then there will be no problems with vision. Moreover, one should not be afraid of visiting an ophthalmologist, because presbyopia is not a disease, but a natural process of a person’s aging, as a result of which vision deteriorates.