Individuals over the age of 40 have unique vision needs. Presbyopia (often called “over-40 vision”) is an age-related condition that causes near vision problems in older individuals due to changes that occur within the natural lens of the eye. Presbyopia eventually affects everyone, but reading glasses and squinting over menus don’t have to become a permanent part of your life. The experienced eye doctors at Cavanaugh Eye Center in Kansas City have diagnosed and treated thousands of patients. We can determine whether you have the condition and advise you of your presbyopia treatment options.
The lens is a small, nearly spherical part that sits inside the eye and helps to focus the light coming in. When you are younger, the lens has the ability to change shape easily. Tiny muscles contract and relax to control changes in the shape of the young lens, and this flexibility allows your eyes to focus over a broad range of distances. As we enter middle age, just as we also begin to notice the subtle aches and pains of aging in our bodies, the eye’s natural lens becomes thicker and begins to lose its flexibility, resulting in vision problems.
If you have worn glasses for far vision in the past, after age 40 you may notice that you suddenly need to remove glasses to read your phone, thread a needle, or do other close-up vision tasks that were not a problem in the past. Blurred vision at normal reading distance and eyestrain or headaches after reading or doing close-up work are all effects of presbyopia.
Over time, and left uncorrected, the lens eventually becomes cloudy and opaque. This is the formation of cataracts, and like presbyopia, everyone eventually develops cataracts to some degree. At Cavanaugh Eye Center, we offer solutions for presbyopia that can provide you with clear, natural vision before a cataract develops. An added bonus is that, with some procedures, you will never have to worry about losing your vision to cataracts.
One size does not fit all when treating patients over 40. Every patient is different, and that is why our experienced eye doctors use the latest technology to tailor a presbyopia solution to your needs. Dr. Cavanaugh and Dr. Jaynes’s advanced corneal training and involvement in research can give you confidence in your procedure and management plan. We invite you to learn more about how Cavanaugh Eye Center can help you experience the best possible vision beyond age 40.
Presbyopia treatments include the following:
Our refractive surgeons have the experience and skills to help you understand the process of each procedure and determine the best course of action for your vision issues and refractive errors to achieve visual freedom from glasses or contacts. We understand that refractive surgery or LASIK eye surgery may sound intimidating, but our vision correction team will demonstrate how effective these treatments are.
