Health Viewpoints
The gift of good vision is one we take for granted in our youth. Though, as we age, we are reminded that the ability to see with clarity and crispness may not last a lifetime.
Presbyopia is a common age-related vision disorder characterized by a progressive decline in the ability to focus on objects at close range—that is, the inability to see things clearly at short distances. If left unattended or corrected improperly, presbyopia can seriously affect a patient’s quality of life. However, there are effective methods to delay its decline.
Around the age of 40, you might notice that you’re not able to see objects close up as clearly as you once did, while objects farther away become more visible.
It is thought that presbyopia is caused by a weakened ciliary muscle or a loss in elasticity of the lens leading to an altered focus. Recent studies have shown that increased hardness on the lens is the main pathogenic mechanism.
There are a variety of ways to manage the symptoms of presbyopia—reading glasses or contact lenses, eye exercises, refractive surgery, and good lifestyle habits.
1. Wearing Glasses or Contact Lenses
One of the easiest ways to “fix” farsightedness is to don a pair of reading glasses. You can choose from several different magnifications, or you can choose the bi-focal type with the lower half for clarity in vision up close, and the upper half for seeing farther away.If wearing glasses isn’t for you, multifocal contact lenses might be more appropriate. These contact lenses are designed on the same principle as that of multifocal glasses—enabling you to see objects clearly at near, intermediate, and far distances. You can remove them before bedtime, and replace them with new ones regularly as needed to keep your eyes healthy.
2. Two Eye Exercises
In addition to wearing glasses or contact lenses, there are also eye exercises you can do to help keep your eyes healthy and may even ease the symptoms of presbyopia. Simple and quick, these eye exercises require just a little time every day.Track Motion
Use an object like your finger or a pen, and bring it within your line of comfortable sight.Keeping the head still, follow the object with your eyes as you slowly move the object left to right, up and down, and to the upper and lower corners of your vision—follow the object to the farthest reach of your sight in each direction. Let the muscles of the eyes be stretched.
You can gradually increase the speed of movement for better results. Just beware not to go too fast at the beginning, or you will feel dizzy.
Focus Change
Place two objects, one farther away and one at closer range. Look at the distant object for a while, and then focus on the nearer one, and repeat the cycle. This exercise can help train your eyes’ ability to adjust focus.Spending just a little time doing these exercises daily will help to keep your vision healthy.
3. Refractive Surgery
If you want a more direct and effective treatment, refractive surgery may be for you. For some people, this is by far the most effective means to treat presbyopia. There are two options for refractive surgery: laser eye surgery, and intraocular lens (IOL) replacement.Laser eye surgery has become a popular and common process, especially for those with presbyopia, myopia (nearsightedness), or astigmatism (vision blurry at all distances). This surgery improves vision by altering the shape of the front surface of the eyeball to change the way light enters the eye.
Another option is IOL replacement surgery which replaces the natural lens in the eye with an IOL that can effectively reduce or alleviate the need for reading glasses through the use of single vision, multifocal, extended depth of focus, or adjustable IOL implants.
Not everyone is a good candidate for these surgeries—discuss your condition and options with an ophthalmologist to understand the various risks and benefits of the surgery option—and determine the one that is most suitable for you.
4. Develop Healthy Living Habits
In addition to the above, certain daily living habits are beneficial for protecting eyesight—especially for preventing presbyopia:Regular Eye Checkups
Even if you think your vision is fine, a comprehensive checkup at least once every two years to detect and treat any hidden eye problems promptly is a good plan.Maintain Healthy Body Weight and Diet
Being overweight or obese increases the risk of various eye diseases, including glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Therefore, we should watch our calorie intake. Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish rich in Omega 3 fatty acids to support eye health. Also, moderate intake of alcohol and caffeine to avoid dry eyes.A meta-analysis published in Nutrition Reviews concluded that a “pescatarian diet is associated with the most favorable visual outcomes among adults, whereas consumption of red meat negatively affects ocular health,” and that the risk of age-related eye disease can be reduced by a diet rich in fish, poultry, and non-meat animal products.
Keep Eyes Moist and Let Them Rest
When using computers and other electronic devices, develop vision healthy habits such as looking at objects at least 20 feet away every 20 minutes, resting the eyes for 10 minutes every hour, and closing your eyes more often. You can also occasionally apply hot towels to your eyes to soothe them from overwork and keep them from getting dry.Avoid Smoking
Not only does smoking harm your overall health, but it also increases your risk of eye diseases, including cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. A study published in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology found that smoking has a deteriorating effect on the ocular surface and is associated with dry eyes.Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
