Around middle age, you may notice that your ability to focus on up-close objects is on a steady decline. This condition, known as presbyopia, strikes almost all adults around the age of 45. Although presbyopia cannot be cured, it can be treated. To keep your vision in top shape, the team at Laser Eye Center of Miami elaborates on some of the indicators that it is time for you to get reading glasses or seek some other treatment for presbyopia:
When You’re Squinting More
If you have trouble seeing something clearly, your eyes’ natural response is to squint to improve vision. While this strategy works in the moment, excessive strain on the eyes can make your vision worse over time. Reading glasses can prevent unnecessary squinting and preserve more of your vision in the long-term.
When You Turn on Lights More Often
Having good light to read by is nice at any age, but when it becomes necessary, that is a telltale sign of presbyopia. If you find yourself turning on more lights to see or using lightbulbs at higher settings, then reading glasses may be a suitable alternative.
When You Get Headaches
While migraines can be attributed to a variety of causes, the culprit is sometimes related to your vision. Eyes that struggle to see objects up close experience more fatigue, which leads to headaches. If you notice headaches occurring after reading or working on the computer for an extended period, then reading glasses may help alleviate this discomfort.
When You Hold Your Phone or Book Further Away
Over time, you may find yourself holding a magazine or your smartphone further away from your face than you used to so that you make out the text more easily. Your arms can only stretch so far; reading glasses allow you to hold the text you are reading at a normal length.
Don’t Want Reading Glasses?
Presbyopia may be an inevitable part of aging, but reading glasses are not the only solution. If you do not like the idea of having to carry around reading glasses to deal with your age-related farsightedness, you may be a good candidate for LASIK with Monovision or refractive lens exchange, which replaces your natural lens with an intraocular lens that helps you to offset the effects of presbyopia.
To meet with the elite doctors at Laser Eye Center of Miami to discuss presbyopia treatments and alternatives to reading glasses, please call (305) 443-4733 for an appointment.