Human beings use five senses to interact in the world. One of these is sight, through which we perceive 80% of the necessary information from the surrounding environment. We often tend to underestimate the importance of eye health and to postpone the issue.
Interestingly, in a study conducted by the World Health Organization (2019), highlighted that 2.2 billion people have vision problems related to major diseases while 1 billion people have problems that could have been avoided via prevention, proper information, and an eye examination. The report also pointed out that factors such as an aging population, changing lifestyles and limited access to eye care, particularly in low and middle income countries, are among the main players in this regard.
What is Presbyopia?
Presbyopia is a vision disorder characterized by the gradual, progressive and irreversible loss of the ability to focus closely. It is a physiological condition linked to aging. In fact, after the age of 40, our crystalline lens, the natural lens found inside the eye, loses elasticity, and progressively loses the ability to focus on objects, documents, and devices at different distances.
What are the causes of Presbyopia?
The IAPB identifies the main cause of presbyopia as the “loss of elasticity of the crystalline due to age, which makes it difficult to focus closely.” Conversely, a younger eye has an efficient and automatic accommodation mechanism, thanks to the change in shape of the lens, which varies depending on the distance at which the observed object is located. Factually, in presbyopia it is as if the automatic focusing mechanism – the ones present in cameras becomes faulty. Usually those who have this visual defect are unable to read up close. In a brochure published by INAIL this process is called “accommodation” – precisely: “The width of accommodation indicates the maximum and minimum distance within which it is possible to see clearly”.
What are the main symptoms of Presbyopia?
- The person who is beginning to the “presbyopia process” complains of blurred vision and reports eye fatigue especially when reading.
- Other common symptoms can be: blurred vision; headache; burning / eye irritation; loss of concentration; need to remove the observed object; nausea and sleepiness.
- Among other things, it emerged that people who do not pay attention to treating presbyopia also have postural problems such as: stiff neck; shoulder pain; backache.
Presbyopia Table
Presbyopia is a physiological phenomenon that has become not only a characterizing aspect of today’s society but also an increasing problem for people who are in daily contact with those technologies that have revolutionized our everyday day world. Mobile phone screens, car dashboards, social media, tablets, eBooks, and computers make it necessary to see closely, and the use of glasses is essential for the presbyopic eye.
The greatest chances of getting presbyopia come between the ages of 42 and 44. The influence of various factors can modify the extremes of the interval (for example, anticipating the onset of the vision disorder) and in any case around the age of 52, the rate of those who have presbyopia in some form is almost 100%.
The correction of presbyopia is performed with reading glasses with positive diopter lenses that allow the subject to easily carry out their work up close; this is called addition. The addition must establish the difference between the patient’s accommodation width and the accommodation used for the work to be done. There are Tischs that indicate the most probable correction based on age. Even if the advice is always to visit a specialist to be sure to compare the glasses with the correct diopter according to ones needs.
Correction of Presbyopia
The most common way to correct presbyopia is with glasses. We know that for many people wearing glasses can be a cause of discomfort from an aesthetic point of view, but they should know that every face fits harmoniously to a type of frame, in the article what glasses suit your face shape we explain how to make the right choice.
The therapy naturally varies from patient to patient and correction is made with “positive” ophthalmic lenses, which add the minimum refractive power sufficient for a correct vision at a reading distance to the eye: +1 diopter for light presbyopia, at the initial stage; +2 diopter for dedicated presbyopia, +3 diopter when the eye has lost almost all of its ability to see and read, usually in old age.
The types of lenses available are:
- monofocal lenses, with which you can see well up close;
- bifocal lenses, which allow correct vision from afar and at a single close distance (glasses with bezels);
- multifocal or progressive lenses that allow, with just one pair of glasses, to see well at multiple distances.
A new frontier in the correction of presbyopia is represented by refractive surgery and the development of advanced lens surgery techniques, which makes use of accommodative or multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs).
The importance of a specialist examination and presbyopia glasses
Prevention is key, as many of the vision problems can be avoided with prompt treatment. The eye examination is an important moment of prevention and control, because the health of the eye is essential for maintaining one’s vision, essential for the quality of life and personal autonomy in daily life, such as in work. At 40, presbyopia begins to seep in – a slow and progressive decline in near vision: it is therefore time to intervene with an adequate correction, wearing presbyopia glasses that allow you to go back in time and recover all the pleasures that appear blurry.
CliC, the glasses with the magnet that have revolutionized the presbyopia market
CliC Eyewear has revolutionized the reading glasses market, offering a practical and trendy alternative to usual presbyopia glasses. The worldwide famous glasses with magnetic connection, are perfect for those who love practicality without neglecting aesthetics and innovation. The peculiarity of these glasses, in addition to that of opening frontally, is given by the comfortable neckband that keeps them stable on the neck. CliC is the most imitated presbyopia reading glasses. Therefore, it is important to be careful and be wary of imitations. Always choose the quality of the original!
Vision is precious. Make sure to take care of it!
The health of our eyes during Covid
With the advent of Covid19, the health of our eyes has been totally neglected, scheduled visits have been postponed and exposure to electronic devices has increased exponentially. A survey conducted by “Fight for Sight”, a British charity that deals with the prevention and treatment of blindness and eye diseases, found that out of 2000 people:
- 50% reported an increase in time spent in front of smartphones, TVs, tablets and PCs;
- 38% felt that their vision had deteriorated.
- In addition, one in five said they did not have the usual eye check scheduled since the time before the pandemic for fear of contracting or spreading the virus. With the pandemic, cases of presbyopia have also increased, especially those not certified by medical examinations, given that most affected people tend to minimize the problem.