Presbyopia (old eye): symptoms, causes, and how to work around it

As an organ that is very important for activity, the human eye is an organ that can withstand damage for a long time. The structure of the eye organs in healthy people, especially at a young age, is smooth and flexible. This is because the eye lens must be able to adjust its shape to see objects clearly within a certain distance and lighting. If this ability is lost, an eye disorder known as presbyopia or old eye will emerge.

Get to know presbyopia, an old eye disorder in old age

Presbyopia is an eye disorder characterized by a decrease in the ability of the eye lens to focus on seeing an object at a close viewing distance. Or the eye can still focus on seeing something up close, but it takes longer than normal eyes.

This disorder can occur by itself as a normal aging process and can be experienced by anyone. The term presbyopia itself comes from the Greek which means "old eye". Generally, a person begins to feel this disorder at the age of over 40 years.

How do old eyes affect a person's vision?

The lens of the human eye is located on the inner part of the eye which is precisely behind the iris (the part of the eye that has color). The eye lens plays a role in regulating the amount of light that enters the eye, the retina, which is the innermost part of the eye.

To carry out its function, the eye lens is flexible. This means that the lens will change shape when adjusting light. However, as you age, the lens in your eye can become stiffer and harder to change shape.

As a result, the eye takes longer to capture focus on the object in front of it. This is because light doesn't hit the retina of the eye properly, especially when looking at objects at close range.

Symptoms of presbyopia

Symptoms of presbyopia generally appear at the age of 40 years characterized by a gradual decrease in the ability to read and see at close range. Common symptoms that can be experienced by presbyopia are:

• It's easy to get tired eyes while reading.
• Headaches when trying to focus on objects at close range.
• Easily tired of doing jobs that require close vision.
• Difficulty reading in lowercase letters.
• Requires taking a greater distance of view when reading.
• Requires lighter light for close-up viewing.
• Have to squint to see up close.

What is the difference between old and farsighted eyes (plus eye)?

Although presbyopia shares the same symptoms as farsightedness, such as visual disturbances or blurred vision at close range, they are two different conditions.

Farsightedness occurs when the eye is shorter than the normal eye size or the cornea is too flat. The defect causes light not to fall on the retina properly, much like presbyopia. Nearsightedness can occur when a person is born, but presbyopia can only occur with age.

Risk factors for presbyopia

Age is the most influential risk factor for presbyopia. However, the symptoms of presbyopia that a person experiences vary. Some people have a more serious condition of presbyopia over the age of 40.

In addition, presbyopia can occur sooner or before the age of 40. This is related to certain health conditions. Some of the risk factors that can cause presbyopia to appear earlier in a person include:

• Have anemia.
• Have heart disease.
• Have diabetes.
• Farsightedness.
• Disorders of the nervous system (brain and spinal cord) such as in multiple sclerosis.
• Experience myasthenia gravis or disorders of the nerves and muscles.
• Experiencing eye disease, injury, or trauma to the eye.
• Impaired blood flow to the heart.

Some of the following substances and medications can affect the focus of the eye on close-up objects, increasing the risk of aging eyes. Among them are:

• Alcohol
• Sedative
• Antidepressants
• Antihistamines (allergy or cold medicine)
• Antipsychotics
• Antispasmodics
• Diuretic drugs

In addition to the risk factors above, more women experience eyes, people who have had eye surgery, and people who have unhealthy diets.

What if my parents or I have old eye conditions?

The eye lens that has experienced this disorder cannot return to normal. Thus, old eyes cannot be healed. However, there are several options for improving and sharpening eyesight. Check out the tips below.

• Using reading glasses. This is especially so if you have never experienced visual disturbances before. Reading glasses can be found at drugstores and eyeglasses with various lens sizes, according to the needs of each patient.
• Using special lenses. Whether in the form of contact lenses or glasses, the use of special lenses is needed to match your ability to see with different lens focuses.
• Conductive keratoplasty (CK). This eye surgery is performed using radio frequency energy to change the curvature of the cornea. Although vision can improve immediately, the results may disappear again over time in some people.
• Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Laser-assisted eye surgery that aims to make visual adjustments and visibility of the eye.
• Eyepiece replacement.This is done by replacing the natural lens with a synthetic eyepiece implant intraocular .