Presbyopia

Presbyopia causes blurred close-up vision as you age. If you develop presbyopia symptoms, talk to fellowship-trained ophthalmologist Dr. Tu of New York Eye and Glaucoma Specialist PLLC: Yufei Tu, MD, in the Flushing district of Queens in New York City. Dr. Tu offers effective treatments, including advanced surgery to restore clear vision. Call Dr. Tu’s office or request an appointment online today for expert presbyopia treatment.

What is presbyopia?

Presbyopia is where your eyes gradually lose their ability to focus on nearby objects. It’s a natural result of aging that usually becomes noticeable when you reach your forties and continues to progress until you get to about 65.

The most typical presbyopia symptom is blurred vision at your usual reading distance, which makes you hold things farther away from your eyes. You might develop eye strain or headaches when doing close-up work or reading. Symptoms are often worse if you’re tired or the lighting’s poor.

What causes presbyopia?

Presbyopia occurs when the lens (the clear, dome-shaped front of your eye) hardens. You use the lens and cornea to focus light as it enters your eye. Your lens can flex and change shape by using the muscle surrounding it. When you look at something far away, the muscle relaxes. The closer an object is, the more your lens must flex.

With age, your lens becomes less flexible. It can’t change shape to focus on anything close, so your sight becomes blurry.

Risk factors that increase your chances of developing premature presbyopia (in people under 40) include:

• Farsightedness
• Diabetes
• Multiple sclerosis
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Antidepressants
• Antihistamines
• Diuretics

However, almost everyone develops a degree of presbyopia after reaching 40.

How is presbyopia treated?

Eyeglasses or contact lenses offer a simple way to correct presbyopia. Other options include:

Refractive surgery

Refractive surgery alters your cornea’s shape. If you have presbyopia, this treatment can improve close-up vision. There are several types of refractive surgery. With laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), Dr. Tu makes a thin, hinged flap at the front of your eye, then uses laser (light) energy to reshape the cornea.

Laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) is similar to LASIK, but Dr. Tu creates an ultra-thin flap in the cornea’s epithelium (outer protective layer). He reshapes the cornea’s outer layers with the laser and then replaces the epithelium.

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is similar to LASEK, but Dr. Tu removes the entire epithelium before reshaping the cornea. The epithelium naturally grows back.

Premium lens implants

Lens implants are replacements for your natural lenses.

Corneal inlays

Corneal inlays are small plastic rings with holes in the centers. You have them in the eye’s cornea, allowing focused light in and enabling you to see close up. The rings are removable if you don’t find they suit you.

Call New York Eye and Glaucoma Specialist PLLC: Yufei Tu, MD, to find the right presbyopia treatment or request an appointment online today.