Presbyopia (presbyopia)

Old age dioptria or presbyopia is a normal, physiological condition that usually occurs after the age of 40. People at this age slowly notice that their vision becomes blurred and unclear when reading or working at the computer. This occurs as a result of changes in the eye lens, whereby its elasticity and refractive power decrease, i.e. weakening of the ability to focus on nearby objects. –>

• How to recognize senile farsightedness?

Symptoms of senile farsightedness are: blurred and unclear vision when working up close, increased eye strain, headaches (especially in low light), fatigue, distance from text, need for stronger light and larger font. 

Persons with normal vision (without refractive error, i.e. dioptres), start to notice the first problems during close work around the age of 45, while farsighted people, i.e. persons with the so-called plus dioptre, they notice these symptoms already around the age of 40. In myopic people, senile farsightedness appears later and at that age it is enough for them to take off their distance glasses and find the distance at which they can read without any correction (mostly this distance is closer than the normal 30-35 cm from the eyes).

• How is the diagnosis made? presbyopia?

To establish a correct diagnosis of presbyopia, it is necessary to perform an examination, which should be performed exclusively by an eye doctor. As part of the examination, in addition to checking the eyesight (diopter), it is obligatory to measure the eye pressure and examine the front segment of the eye and the fundus, which must be done with dilated pupils. It is important to emphasize that presbyopia is a process that progresses over time, and therefore it is necessary to perform regular examinations, every 1-2 years. 

• How is senile farsightedness treated?

Correction of presbyopia can be done in different ways:

1. Near glasses
2. Bifocal or multifocal (progressive) glasses – in the upper part there is a diopter for distance, in the middle for the computer and in the lower for reading
3. Multifocal soft or gas permeable contact lenses
4. Monovision – with a technique where the dominant eye is corrected for looking into the distance, and the other eye is brought to a state of nearsightedness, which the eye uses to see near (but that eye sees less at a distance). Many patients are not suitable for this technique, because they did not have a difference in diopter before or they are bothered by reduced stereo (spatial) vision.
5. The installation of an intraocular multifocal lens in the eye, which is placed in the place of the natural lens and in over 95% of cases provides permanently good and stable distance and near vision without wearing nightshades or with them minimal use.