The Eye Doc Blog » presbyopia

Martha Stewart Discusses the Importance of Regular Eye Care

RAD — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:42:55 +0000

This is a good video where Martha Stewart discusses common topics in eye care including lazy eye, bifocal contact lenses, importance of eye exams for adults and for learning in children.

Are Bifocal Contact Lenses Right For You?

RAD — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:51:36 +0000

Why do I need bifocals is a very common question. As a child we have a tremendous capacity to focus at near and as we get older our ability to focus at near slowly decreases to the point where around 40 years of age we begin to notice that it takes a significant effort to read. We need more light than we used to. The print quality has to be good. We can’t read as well in the afternoon. Sometimes we can read at near, but when we look up the distance is blurry. These are all signs of presbyopia. From the age of 40 to approximately the mid 60’s we notice the decline of our near vision. This is called presbyopia (prez-bē-ˈō-pē-ə).

The good news is we have better options available than ever before. Bifocal contact lenses really do work. Read more…

Bausch & Lomb Launches Multi-Tiered U.S. Consumer Education Initiative To Raise Awareness Of Presbyopia

RAD — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:32:05 +0000

The naturally occurring vision condition will affect more than 78 million U.S. baby boomers. Most are unaware that multifocal contact lenses can resolve their vision needs and avoid readers.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Bausch & Lomb, manufacturer of the #1 multifocal lens design, has launched its largest integrated marketing initiative with the goal of raising U.S. awareness of presbyopia and multifocal contact lenses. Presbyopia is a naturally occurring vision condition that begins to affect people in their 40s. As the eyes’ internal lenses become less flexible and lose elasticity, the eyes are less able to adjust quickly to rapid changes in focus from distance to near objects, causing blurred vision, most notable at reading distances.

Bausch & Lomb, makers of the Purevision Multifocal Contact Lens, wish to make the public aware that just because you are over 40 doesn’t mean you need to wear reading glasses with your contact lenses. Soft, bifocal contact lenses have come a long way in the last 10 years. Read more …….

Hyperopia or Farsightedness and Presbyopia are Often Confused

RAD — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:55:09 +0000

Hyperopia, commonly referred to as farsightedness, is when a person sees better in the distance than at near. Light entering the eye focuses behind the retina placing a blurry image on the retina. For a hyperopic person to see clearly at any distance a muscle, inside the eye, called the ciliary body, must focus the lens inside the eye. As we get older it becomes more difficult for the eye to accomplish this auto focusing. Because of the eye’s ability to focus, farsighted people often don’t need glasses until their 30s or 40s.

Uncorrected farsightedness, however, may cause a person to experience eyestrain or an eye turn (strabismus), depending on the degree of farsightedness and the patient’s age. The younger we are the easier it is for the eye to compensate for farsightedness. Uncorrected farsightedness can lead to amblyopia. Farsightedness and presbyopia are often confused.

Presbyopia

A person is presbyopic when the crystalline lens in the eye can no longer focus well at near, making reading glasses or bifocals necessary. A person can be both farsighted and presbyopic or nearsighted and presbyopic. Presbyopia typically begins in our early 40s. The older we get the more difficult it is for our eyes to focus at near. The effects of presbyopia level off in our mid to late 60s. Bifocals allows a person with presbyopia to see clearly at near and intermediate distances.