Is Blurry Near Vision Part of Healthy Aging? Presbyopia Treatment in NYC
- Posted on: Sep 10 2023
Most people require reading glasses as they get older, especially after age 40. That is when blurry near vision sets in, and people seek the expertise of our board-certified ophthalmologist. Some may think their vision prescription is just changing, while others are concerned about eye diseases and their ocular health.
September is Healthy Aging® Month, and our eyecare team wants you to know that near vision changes are a natural part of getting older. Your eyes age with you with the internal lenses becoming less flexible. However, you don’t have to live the rest of your days with blurry eyesight.
What Is Presbyopia?
Sharp vision relies on two main parts of your eye: the clear dome at the front of your eye called the cornea and the eye lens that sits between the iris and vitreous gel filling the eyeball. A round, healthy cornea passes light through the eye lens, which contracts or widens like a camera lens to focus the light rays onto the retina lining the back of the eye. The eye lens loses its flexibility and hardens with age, making adjusting focus for nearby objects challenging. This process is called presbyopia.
Do I Have to Use Reading Glasses for Presbyopia?
Men and women with presbyopia often need to hold objects and text farther from their faces to see clearly. Some may look to over-the-counter readers or prescription reading glasses to restore their near vision, but there are other presbyopia treatment options that won’t limit your lifestyle or affect your appearance. Dr. Gregory Pamel and our team of eyecare professionals offer laser-assisted presbyopia reversal (LAPR), scleral implants, and refractive lens exchange so you can enjoy your golden years without readers.
Dr. Pamel takes pride in being at the forefront of clinical research and investigating advances in ophthalmology. He was the principle investigator for seven clinical trials, including phakic lens implant surgery, iris implant surgery, corneal collagen crosslinking, dry eye complications after cataract surgery, and astigmatism-correcting IOLs for cataract surgery. Some of our presbyopia treatments at Pamel Vision & Laser Group are new techniques and technologies only available at select ophthalmology practices.
LAPR is a new procedure that uses laser technology with an Erbium-Yag device. Pulses from the fiber optic handpiece create four tiny incisions in the sclera (the white area of the eye) to change the position of the eye lens. LAPR expands the sclera to improve the lens power and enhance near vision. This laser eye surgery can also enhance the flexibility of the hardened lens.
Scleral implants place silicone bands in four areas of the white outer layer to increase focusing ability, and refractive lens exchange removes the eye lens and replaces it with a specific IOL, much like cataract surgery. Accommodating IOLs adjust focus along the eyeball axis for good vision at all focal points.
If you’re interested in presbyopia treatment, contact Pamel Vision & Laser Group in Astoria and New York, New York. Schedule an appointment with our board-certified ophthalmologist at (212) 355- 2215.
Posted in: Presbyopia
