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Presbyopia

Diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment methods.

General Information About Presbyopia

Presbyopia, commonly known as 'Near Blindness' or 'Need for Reading Glasses', is the loss of elasticity of the natural lens inside the eye due to aging, resulting in the loss of the ability to focus (accommodate) on close objects (books, phones, menus). This is not a disease, but a physiological and natural process that absolutely everyone will experience after the age of 40, just like hair turning gray. Even people who are nearsighted, farsighted, or have zero prescription (seeing like an eagle) have to extend their arms to read texts when they reach the ages of 40-45. In our Ophthalmology clinic, this natural process is comfortably resolved with custom reading glasses, progressive (distance-near combined) lenses, or 'Smart Lens (Trifocal Lens)' surgeries for patients who want to get rid of glasses completely.

Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions

You can access detailed information about the disease under the headings below.

It is the inability to see objects or texts clearly and in focus at a distance of 30-40 cm (near), starting toward the mid-forties, due to the hardening of the natural lens inside the eye and the weakening of the muscles controlling the lens.

No, although the consequences are similar, their mechanisms are entirely different. Hyperopia is a congenital condition where the eye cannot focus near/far because the eyeball is shorter than normal. Presbyopia, however, is a problem where an eye with perfect anatomy loses the elasticity of its internal lens (cannot zoom) purely due to 'aging (over 40)'.

The most classic symptom is the need to move an object further away from the eyes (extending the arms) to clearly see text while reading a book, looking at a mobile phone, or reading a medication leaflet/menu. Patients often say, 'My arms are getting too short.' Inability to perform fine tasks (threading a needle), insufficient light while reading, and burning, fatigue, and headache/forehead pain in the eyes after prolonged reading are experienced.

Yes! Due to the eye structure of nearsighted (Myopic) patients, their near vision (focusing) point is already very close. Because of this, when they pass the age of 40 and take off the glasses (or contacts) they wear for distance, they read near objects (like a phone) much more clearly and comfortably than a normal person with presbyopia. However, they must put their glasses back on when looking at a distance.

First, let's bust this myth: Wearing reading glasses does not make the eye lazy or cause the prescription to advance faster; neither does not wearing glasses stop the progression. Presbyopia begins at age 40 and the prescription continues to slowly increase (between +0.50 and +1.00) every 3-5 years until the lens completely hardens (around age 60).
The simplest method for treatment is Reading Glasses used only when reading. If the patient already has distance glasses, Progressive (Multifocal) lenses are used, allowing them to see far with the top of the lens and near with the bottom.

For patients tired of taking reading and distance glasses on and off or those who do not want to use glasses, the Permanent Solution is Surgery. Much like cataract surgery (a procedure done in 15 minutes with drop anesthesia), the hardened and aged lens inside the eye that has lost its functionality is melted with ultrasound and removed. In its place, Trifocal (Smart) Intraocular Lenses are implanted, which stay in the eye for a lifetime and provide flawless vision for far, computer distance (intermediate), and reading distance (near). Patients who undergo this surgery will never experience presbyopia again and will never develop cataracts in the future.

Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.

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