Presbyopia and Progressive Lenses

Do you experience headaches at the end of the day?

Finding it increasingly harder to see things clearly?

Is your vision getting blurry?

Some might think it’s due to stress, or mental health, but it could be more than that.
As we grow older, the crystalline lens in our eyes gradually loses its flexibility, making it harder to focus clearly on near objects. This is called presbyopia. No one knows exactly what causes this lens to become inflexible, but it happens to everyone.

Presbyopia is a part of growing older

As mentioned before, presbyopia spares no one: yes, you too will experience it at a certain age, usually around the age of 40, even if you have never had any vision problems before.

Let’s better define presbyopia

As we’ve said, presbyopia affects all of us— 100% — at a certain age.

Not to worry! On top of being extremely common, it is thankfully easy to correct. Let us explain why presbyopia occurs around the age of 40.

Here is how mother nature works: the crystalline lens of our eye loses its elasticity from the age of 40 onwards, and the vision loses its clarity as a consequence. The crystalline lens is a transparent lens located inside the eye. In order to see correctly at close distances and to obtain a clear image, the lens bulges and increases in size to change its refractive power. It is this phenomenon that makes it possible for the eye to focus, the very same principle used by the autofocus of your camera or smartphone.

The scientific term “presbyopia” thus refers to the loss of flexibility of the lens that makes “focusing” increasingly difficult.

Presbyopia symptoms

When you become presbyopic, you may also notice that stretching your arm to read a label or the latest news headline on your tablet has become worryingly mundane. Focusing between changing distances can also become gradually difficult.

Unfortunately, when you move things further from your eyes they get smaller in size, so this is only a temporary and partially successful solution to presbyopia.

If you can still see close objects pretty well, we are unfortunately unable to congratulate you since presbyopia can cause headaches, eye strain and visual fatigue that makes reading and other near vision tasks less comfortable and more tiring.

Now you may be wondering if there are any eye exercises for presbyopia that you can do to prevent this from happening.

Frankly? Nope.

On a more serious note, seeing clearly and comfortably is far from being vain – it’s an essential part of the quality of your day-to-day life and health. So here are the steps you can take when presbyopia comes knocking.

Diagnosing presbyopia

If you or your family members are experiencing symptoms of presbyopia — blurry vision, or difficulty in focusing on objects up close — the first thing to do is to schedule an appointment with your eye care professional.

Do note that unless you have already blown out your forty candles, these symptoms might not mean you are presbyopic. It could be hyperopia (farsightedness) or astigmatism. The symptoms can seem similar, but the condition is different.

Of course, once you are certain that you have presbyopia, it’s time to explore your options to correct it.

Contact lenses for presbyopia

Multifocal contacts can help you see objects that are both near and far, while keeping your glasses in your pocket if needed. Contact lenses are much more comfortable and can be worn longer these days. However, they do cost a little more than normal types of contact lenses and are not suitable for people with chronic dry eyes.

Presbyopia surgery

There are also surgical options you can consider to correct presbyopia. LASIK or CK (Conductive Keratoplasty) can create a solution in monovision for presbyopia. What this means, in more common terms, is that this surgery will give you one eye to focus on distant objects while the other eye’s job will be to focus on anything close to you. Our brain magic will do the rest!

Think of it as your eyes being two lenses—one telephoto for distance and one macro lens for your small objects up close. 

Of course, going under the knife always has risks, however small they might be. After some time, presbyopia might come back again even after surgery, plus the cost of corrective eye surgery is higher than opting for progressive lenses.

Eyeglasses for presbyopia

Progressive lenses are the best option to address presbyopia. A single pair of progressive lenses gives clear vision at near, mid and far distances throughout the day. Nikon Lenswear offers a wide range of choices that will deliver superior optical performance, better aesthetics and optimal comfort – all with one lens.
Introducing Nikon SeeMax Ultimate, a technological breakthrough where every lens is co-designed based on your needs, preferences and viewing habits for the ultimate, tailor-made, viewing experience.

Have a look at our range of progressive lenses to find the one that will best suit your eyes and your lifestyle. The world is a better place when seen clearly. Trust us on this one.

Presbyopia and you

There’s no need to let presbyopia get you down! We are all in the same boat and, as we’ve explored together, a myriad of effective options are available to correct this lovely sign of ageing. If you are lucky enough to have reached the big 4-0 and are wondering if you do have presbyopia, simply schedule an appointment with one of our Nikon Lenswear partners.

Wait no more.

Don’t let your vision age like wine.

Take the step towards clear and comfortable vision today.