Are you tired of wearing reading glasses? If you’ve entered your 40s or 50s, you may have noticed that you are suddenly having trouble seeing up close for tasks like reading your phone. Some folks consider it a “right of passage” when the time comes for reading glasses but if you’d rather skip the hassle that comes along with aging eyes, we have good news. Keep reading below to learn why you suddenly can’t see up close and what you can do about it.
Reading glasses can be very stylish and are a great option for patients who love to wear them. However, you may find that you’re searching all over for them, wearing multiple prescription strengths or you may need progressive lenses that help those with vision issues at near and far. While reading glasses are a great solution, your eyes will continue to change over time.
The reason this is happening is due to the natural aging of the lens inside the eye which affects the ability to focus to see up close. This is called presbyopia or dysfunctional lens syndrome. This condition is actually the very beginning phase of developing cataracts, which everyone will get at some point in their lives.
Luckily, there is an option to permanently correct your vision for reading and for distance – and bonus, it also eliminates the need for cataract surgery in the future!
At Williamson Eye Center, we offer a Custom Lens Replacement which is a procedure that can reduce your reliance on reading glasses and other visual aids and gives you great vision from near to far. Keep reading to learn more about Custom Lens Replacement, how it works, and why the procedure treats conditions like presbyopia!
What is Presbyopia?
Presbyopia is one of the most common age-related eye conditions. It affects most adults at some point in life and often develops as early as age 40.
Presbyopia is a condition that develops when the natural lens of the eye loses flexibility. Making it harder to focus up close and see things right in front of you.
Your lens must flex and change shape to magnify images when you’re focusing up close, but it can become rigid and inflexible as you age. With less flexibility, it loses its ability to magnify as well as it once could.
Because of these changes, you’ll start struggling to see text and other objects up close. Reading glasses are the go-to treatment for presbyopia.
Reading glasses lenses compensate for the inflexibility of the natural lens. However, they can only help you see well up close.
If you wear prescription glasses or contact lenses, you must switch your glasses for different distances, wear glasses over your contact lenses or use more expensive bifocals or progressive lenses.
A Custom Lens Replacement is an alternative to reading glasses that can eliminate your need for visual aids, giving you the kind of visual freedom you’ve always wanted!
What is Custom Lens Replacement?
Custom Lens Replacement is a procedure that removes your inflexible natural lens and replaces it with an advanced intraocular lens (IOL). IOLs are artificial lenses that replace the natural lens inside the eye, allowing you to see more clearly.
Custom Lens Replacement is a simple outpatient procedure with a short recovery time and good long-term outcomes. Several IOL options are available.
Your surgeon will recommend the best IOL for you based on your visual goals and lifestyle needs.
Choosing an IOL
Your surgeon will perform a variety of measurements and an extensive exam to determine what options he/she feels will give you the best possible outcome from surgery.
Here are a few of the options we offer at Williamson Eye Center:
Light Adjustable Lens
Imagine being able to test-drive your vision after surgery and having the ability to tailor your vision to your exact needs… that’s now possible with the Light Adjustable Lens.
The Light Adjustable Lens is made up of special photo-sensitive material that changes the power of your implanted lens in response to UV light treatments.
Through a few non-invasive light therapy sessions at our office after surgery, your doctor will manipulate the shape of your lens and then lock in the prescription of your choice after you’ve had a chance to test out different prescriptions.
Choosing this technology and following the treatment plan increases the likelihood that you will achieve your desired visual outcome after surgery.
Toric Lenses to Correct Astigmatism
We are often asked, “can this correct my astigmatism?” The answer is an easy yes!
For patients suffering from astigmatism, a Toric IOL lens was created to neutralize the imbalance of corneal asymmetry. Previously, patients with astigmatism in addition to dysfunctional lenses still had to use glasses or contact lenses to reduce the effects of astigmatism. With a Toric IOL implant, any imbalance created by astigmatism is reduced and even eliminated, allowing for crystal clear distance vision.
Multifocal and Extended Depth of Focus Lenses
Multifocal and extended depth of focus lenses are a great option to correct distance, intermediate and near vision. Advanced IOLs like these have a bulls eye pattern allowing for focal points for distance, intermediate, and near vision. These lenses allow you to have the best chance at being less dependent on reading glasses.
More Benefits
You will work with your surgeon to determine the best treatment plan for your visual goals. Getting out of glasses and contacts is a huge benefit, and there’s even more benefit to having vision correction surgery sooner than later. Having Custom Lens Replacement means you never have to worry about getting cataracts. Cataracts only form on the eye’s natural lens and cannot form inside IOLs.
Custom Lens Replacement is virtually the same procedure as cataract surgery. The only difference between them is that you don’t need a cataract to have Custom Lens Replacement, this allows you to enjoy great vision for a longer period of your life.
Say goodbye to reading glasses and prevent cataracts simultaneously by having Custom Lens Replacement. Learn more about this procedure and find out if it could be right for you by scheduling an appointment at Williamson Eye Center in Baton Rouge, LA, now!
