[TREATMENTS FOR PRESBYOPIA]

Abstract

Presbyopia is the physiological, gradual, progressive loss of the ability to see clearly at near point which affects people as they age. It is primarily caused by the thickening and stiffening of the lens leading to an inability to adjust its shape to become convex enough to induce adequate plus power to see at short distances. Symptoms usually begin affecting individuals around 40 years of age, the most common being discomfort in or around the eyes after prolonged near work, blur at distance after near work, and eventually progressing to near blur, often with a natural tendency to distance the object by holding it farther away to try to see it better. At a certain point near tasks become impossible and the patient will seek an external solution. Various therapies are available and being developed to treat presbyopia, which include glasses, contact lenses, intraocular lens implants, corneal laser procedures, intracorneal implants, scleral alterations and pharmacological ocular drops. Untreated presbyopia negatively affects quality of life as well as the world productivity since presbyopia progresses from approximately an age when people are still an active part of the workforce. As the population and life expectancy grow, so will the number of presbyopes. This article will discuss the various options available to treat presbyopia.