Perhaps, you are lucky enough to not need eyeglasses for most of your life. Then suddenly, you start noticing that you can’t seem to read small prints. The smaller the prints, the harder they are to read. At 40, that’s normal. You can only attribute it to getting old. You can feel your eyes getting tired easily, and you probably experience frequent headaches when you try to read for a long period. You are probably considering getting reading glasses, wondering if prescription eyewear would help you read even better. If you’re starting to hold your phone a little farther away just so you can see it properly, you are probably developing a condition called presbyopia.
What is Presbyopia?
Presbyopia is the condition characterized by the loss of normal focusing ability. This occurs normally with age. Most people begin to notice the changes in their eyesight after 40 hits. People begin to notice difficulty in reading small prints clearly. Text messages become difficult to read easily. Unfortunately, you cannot escape this condition even if you have always had a 20/20 vision. Even nearsighted individuals may experience blurry vision when they wear their eyeglasses.
Presbyopia is Normal with Age
Like every other part of the body, our eyes start to fail you as you age. It starts to stiffen, so you will start to experience difficulty in focusing when you look at something up close. It is estimated that over 2 billion people around the globe suffer from presbyopia. Although it is normal, it is significant to most people. It is emotional because it’s one of the first signs of aging. It is impossible to ignore along with the wrinkles and white hair. Without proper care and treatment, it can significantly reduce a person’s quality of life.
Presbyopia doesn’t spare anyone. It can happen to anyone. Once you reach 40, you will likely notice the symptoms of presbyopia. This is why the symptoms is sometimes referred to as “over 40 vision syndrome.” This wouldn’t have been a problem a hundred years ago when the normal lifespan was 40. However, people’s average lifespan today is 80 years of age. So, presbyopia has become a real problem for numerous people worldwide.
The Physical Changes to Your Eyes
The crystalline lens of the eyes is responsible for 25 percent of the eyes’ capacity to focus. This is the part of the eyes that enables people to focus and refocus as they look at near or faraway objects. You can think of it as the auto-focus system of your eyes. Located around the lens is the ciliary muscle. This contracts and relaxes to allow the lens to change shape in order to focus on objects near or far. Unfortunately, as you age, the lens weakens and loses its flexibility, and the ciliary muscle becomes less elastic. Study shows that it is the occurrence of these things that causes presbyopia.
Symptoms of Presbyopia
When you have presbyopia, you probably struggle to read text on your phone or book. If you find yourself holding your phone or reading materials farther from you just to see them, then you may be developing this condition. Ironically, when you move things away from you, the size of the text and image gets even smaller, so moving things farther from you is actually a partial solution. Without the help of reading glasses, presbyopia may eventually cause eye strain, headache, and visual fatigue.
Here are the signs that you may be suffering from presbyopia:
- The text and images on your phone or books look blurry when you hold them close. You are able to read them when you move your phone or book farther away.
- You struggle reading smaller prints in dim light.
- Your eyes hurt when you try to read.
- You develop a headache when you do close up work.
The Risk Factor for Presbyopia
There are various risk factors for presbyopia. First off, there’s age. It’s something that happens with age. It’s unavoidable. Most people develop presbyopia by age 40. However, there are other factors that could cause the condition. Presbyopia can occur in people younger than 40 when they suffer from anemia, cardiovascular diseases, farsightedness, multiple sclerosis, eye trauma, vascular insufficiency, and myasthenia gravis. Certain medications can also cause the condition. Some of these drugs include antianxiety drugs, antidepressants, antihistamines, antipsychotics, antispasmodics, and diuretics. You are also at a higher risk of developing premature presbyopia if you are a female, or have had intraocular surgery, or eating an unhealthy diet, or suffers from decompression sickness.
Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Presbyopia develops slowly from age 40 to 60. You will start to notice the changes once you hit 40, and every couple of years, you will notice your vision getting worse. This is why you need to get a pair of the best reading glasses to help your eyes focus and see more clearly. Other devices may require prescription reading glasses, bifocals, progressive lenses, contact lenses, and more. Basically, presbyopia is managed with glasses. It can be corrected with contact lenses, but this is a bit more complicated. You can see through glasses simply by just moving your head. However, contact lenses move with your eyes, so it can be a bit challenging to focus on near and distant objects.
So, glasses are your best option. But why settle for cheap reading glasses when you get quality ones for an affordable price? We have a wide selection of the reading eyewear. The reading glasses for men come in various colors and styles. They’re strong and durable, and you could put them in your car, on your bedside table, or in the safety of your office desk. The reading glasses for women come in various designs. You will definitely find something that suits your style and needs. So, say goodbye to squinting when reading. With their shapes and design, these quality readers fit people of all ages. They are classy, beautiful, and useful. You will want to wear them all the time. Who knows? You may end up buying several pairs!
