Though you may try your best to care for your eyes, several issues may befall you concerning your vision, and one of those is presbyopia. But what exactly is presbyopia, and how can an eye doctor at Columbia Vision Center in Seattle help you deal with it?

What Is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is a kind of eye issue that occurs due to eye degradation over time. This is fairly common; as you grow older, you tend to become less able to read things close to you. A person typically begins to experience symptoms of presbyopia after the age of 40. For example, if you begin to feel like you must keep reading material further away from your face, there is a good chance that you may be experiencing presbyopia.

Presbyopia manifests because of changes in the clear lens sitting behind your colored iris. When you are younger, this clear lens is more flexible, allowing it to change shape more easily. However, once you reach the age of 40, the lens becomes more rigid, preventing itself from adjusting shape as needed. This prevents close-up tasks from being as easy to accomplish as they may otherwise be.

How Is Presbyopia Treated?

Unfortunately, presbyopia is a condition that people will inevitably encounter. More than one-third of Americans have some degree of presbyopia. However, there are still ways for presbyopia to be addressed, at least to some extent. The most common solution is, of course, wearing lenses, such as eyeglasses or contact lenses. For people who want to try to cure their vision issues without such aides, surgery is one option that a person can take.

One example of a surgery people pursue to deal with eye disorders, presbyopia included, is LASIK eye surgery. Eye drop solutions include miotic drops to create a pinhole effect with your eye and lens-softening drops which help deal with the increased degree of lens rigidity. Be sure to discuss what kind of options you have to make your vision better with an optometrist.

Schedule an Appointment with Our Eye Doctor in Seattle

If you are at the age to experience the symptoms of presbyopia or need vision care in general, contact an optometrist at Columbia Vision Center in Seattle, WA today. Our optometry professionals can help you live your life as comfortably as possible. Call us today at (206) 382-6682 for more information or to schedule an appointment.