Presbyopia Treatment

Although presbyopia is an unpreventable and natural part of aging, there are several options available to correct the blurred vision and eyestrain that is symptomatic of the condition. Your medical history, prescription, and lifestyle will all determine which presbyopia treatment is right for you.

Glasses and Contact Lenses

Glasses and contact lenses are the most dependable type of presbyopia treatment. If you already wear glasses for astigmatism, myopia, or other refractive errors, you may need an additional pair for reading and other up-close activities. Bifocals, which combine two prescriptions in one pair of glasses, are an excellent option. If you have no other vision problems, you will only need one set of reading glasses to correct your presbyopia.

Contacts are also a reliable method of presbyopia treatment. With contacts, you will have two options. You can either wear bifocal contact lenses, which act similarly to bifocal eyeglasses by correcting distance vision on the lenses' top half and up-close vision on the bottom, or you can use contacts to achieve monovision. Monovision simply involves dividing your separate prescriptions between your two lenses. One contact lens will correct your distance vision while the other will correct up-close vision.

Implantable Lenses

To avoid the daily hassle of contacts or glasses, many people with presbyopia choose implantable lenses as their preferred form of treatment. An intraocular lens (IOL) actually replaces the eye’s natural lens and is a good option for people seeking a more permanent solution to presbyopia. A lens implant, which acts similarly to a contact lens, is placed either between the cornea and the iris (the colored part of the eye), or directly behind the iris.

Most implantable lenses treat only nearsightedness, but there are currently three types of lenses available in the United States that treat presbyopia. These include the ReSTOR®, ReZoom™, and crystalens® intraocular lenses. These lenses are a great alternative for patients who cannot undergo LASIK for their presbyopia treatment. The Array® lens is also an option, but is now rarely used, as crystalens®, ReSTOR®, and ReZoom™ have proven to be more effective treatments

Monovision LASIK

Although monovision was once only possible through the use contact lenses, recent developments in LASIK surgery have made it possible to achieve permanent monovision. Through the LASIK procedure, which involves using an excimer laser to reshape the cornea so it can properly focus images, your surgeon can correct distance vision in one eye and up-close vision in the other.

The drawback of permanent monovision is that your eyes will no longer work together. Some patients find it difficult to get used to one eye being blurry all the time. Patients considering LASIK for presbyopia treatment should first try monovision with contact lenses to see how they adjust.

Conductive Keratoplasty

Conductive keratoplasty (CK) is a fairly new type of refractive surgery that uses radiofrequency (RF) energy, instead of a laser or scalpel, to reshape the cornea and bring up-close vision back into focus. The mild heat produced by the RF waves shrinks small areas of corneal tissue, making the cornea steeper and changing the way that the eye focuses light. CK works best as a presbyopia treatment for patients over 40 who have no other vision problems.

Talk to a Specialist in Your Area to Discuss Your Treatment Options

There is currently a barrage of advertising campaigns targeting candidates for refractive surgery and other forms of presbyopia treatment. It is especially important that you speak with a qualified ophthalmologist in order to receive straightforward information. To find a practitioner in your area, consult our eye care specialist directory; for doctors specializing in refractive surgery, see our LASIK specialists page.