Near Vision & Presbyopia

What is Near Vision?

Near vision or nearsightedness is a medical condition that affects the eye leading to a vision problem where far away objects are blurred but nearby objects are clear. It is also known as myopia.

This condition is caused when light rays focus to form images in front of the retina instead of on the retina itself. This could be due to an incorrect bending of the light rays. Myopia usually worsens during childhood and adolescence.

Symptoms

Patients suffering from Near Vision experience the following symptoms:

• Distant objects are blurred
• Difficult to drive at night
• Headache due to the straining of the eye
• Squinting to see clearly

Causes

• Genetics: Nearsightedness can be passed on from parents. If one parent is myopic, the chances of this condition developing in their children increases. If both the parents aremyopic, there is a greater risk their children may develop myopia.
• Reading: Those who read and write a lot or work long hours in front of a computer or other mobile screens face a greater risk of developing nearsightedness. Playing a lot of electronic games and watching too much television also plays a huge role.
• Environmental conditions: such as, not spending enough time outdoors can cause myopia.

Diagnosis 

The doctor will perform diagnosis for Near Vision by testing the patient’s eyes using certain diagnostic methods that include a basic eye exam along with refractive assessment to specify vision problems using various instruments and lenses.

In some cases, the pupils are dilated using eye drops for further understanding the condition of the patient’s eyes.

Treatment

The basic treatment usually adopted for myopia by doctors include eyeglasses or contact lenses with the right power prescribed to correct the vision.

In some cases, the doctors might recommend the following Refractive surgery such as,

• Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) procedure in which laser beam is used to remove the inner layers of the cornea to restore its shape.
• Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK): In this procedure, a laser beam is used to remove the epithelium to reshape the cornea.

What is Presbyopia?

The medical condition of the eye where the gradual loss of the eyes to focus nearby objects normally caused due to ageing is called presbyopia. It typically occurs when the eye lens hardens and loses its flexibility to change shape that is necessary to focus nearby objects.

Symptoms

A patient suffering from Presbyopia might experience the following symptoms:

• Blurred vision at normal reading distance
• Holding papers farther away to see clearly
• Headaches

Causes

• Age: Most people above the age of 40 experiences some extent of presbyopia
• Medical conditions: such as diabetes, farsightedness or cardiovascular diseases
• Certain drugs can be the cause of presbyopia

Diagnosis 

Diagnostic methods include a basic eye exam along with refractive assessment of the eye to determine vision problems using various instruments. For better viewing the eyes, certain eye drops are used to dilate the eyes and are studied.

Treatment

Treatment options available for presbyopia are,

• Wearing corrective eyeglasses or eye lenses: to adjust the patient’s vision as prescribed by the doctor.
• Refractive surgery: such as LASIK, PRK etc.
• Lens implants surgery: involves the removal of the eye lens and replacing it with synthetic lens.
• Corneal inlays: In this procedure, a small plastic ring with a central opening is inserted into the cornea for better vision.

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Authored By Dr. Lalit Kumar