40's and 50's

You’ve known about nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism for many years, and chances are good that you have one of these vision correction issues by the time you reach your forties.  There is one other condition to know about−one that commonly develops in people around the age of 40; presbyopia.  

Presbyopia

Presbyopia is not a disease or an illness—it’s a normal, natural part of the aging process, and it happens to just about everyone; even if you have had laser eye surgery.

Presbyopia is simply the result of the lens becoming less flexible.  As you age, the lens in each of your eyes begins to lose its ability to change shape easily—the property that allows your eyes to focus quickly on an object or a page of text. The less elastic your lenses become, the harder it is to focus, and the more important a role glasses or contact lenses play in your life.

While presbyopia cannot be corrected with laser eye surgery or vision shaping therapy, you still have several options for vision that will help keep your vision at 20/20, both for close-up work and at a distance.  

See a presbyopia demo at www.purevision.com.

Multi-Focal Contact Lenses

Multi-focal contact lenses - including PureVision® Multi-Focal Contact Lenses can correct presbyopia so that you can see comfortably up close and at a distance and allow you to stay in your contacts instead of moving to reading glasses or bifocals.  

Contact Lens Council's Survey: Many Patients not Aware of New CL Options

The results of the Contact Lens Council's (CLC) "Eye on Innovations" survey show that consumers aren't aware of all their current contact lens options. The survey was conducted among 500 participants between the ages of 18 and 65 from May 1 to 2, 2007. More than 83% of respondents say they would like to try contact lenses if they are available to satisfy their individual eye care needs. Participants are reportedly unaware of some of the major advancements in contact lenses:

• New materials, specifically silicone hydrogel (69%)

• Lenses with UV protection (55%)

• Multifocals (40%)

• Toric lenses for astigmatism (23%)

Among other findings, the survey also revealed that many respondents are not properly caring for their lenses:

• More than 44% of CL wearers always or occasionally top-off their contact lens solution

• 46% clean their lens case after each use

• 49% wear lenses longer than recommended.

Additional findings and information on proper lens care are available at: http://www.mycontactlenses.org.

 

Reprinted with permission from the August 19, 2007 edition of Contact Lenses Today, a free weekly e-mail newsletter published by Contact Lens Spectrum. Copyright 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins VisionCare Group. All Rights Reserved. To subscribe to Contact Lenses Today, log onto www.cltoday.com.

Magnifiers and Vision Accessories

Embroidery, building models, reading maps, and seeing the numbers on small technical instruments can become challenging as we move into presbyopia and experience other changes in our ability to see clearly. Brighter lighting can help with close-up work, but sometimes you need additional help.

Magnifiers bring fine print and needlework into focus, and they come in many sizes to help you match the level of magnification you need with the task in front of you.  

Need both hands to perform delicate work?  Try a hands-free magnifier.  

Glasses

If you prefer to wear glasses for vision correction, you can learn about bifocal and trifocal lenses and their attributes at All About Vision, a consumer guide to eye care and vision correction.