Eye Concerns

Presbyopia is a natural occurrence associated with aging in which the normally soft and flexible crystalline lens of the eye hardens and becomes less elastic.  This makes the lens less able to focus incoming light from near objects, thereby causing blurred vision at reading distance.

It is not a disease or an illness—it’s a normal, natural part of the aging process, and it happens to just about everyone around the age of 40.

What causes presbyopia?

In young people, the lens is soft and flexible, and readily changes shape to focus. As you age, the lenses in your eyes lose elasticity. When this happens, your eyes are less able to adjust quickly to rapid changes in focus from distance to near objects. Eventually, they lose their ability to focus for different distances.

What are the symptoms?

People with presbyopia often believe they have become farsighted; while they can read street signs and watch movies comfortably, they are unable to bring small print, such as the telephone book, or close work, such as embroidery, into focus. In fact, whereas farsightedness is caused by a misshapen eye, presbyopia is simply the result of the lens becoming less flexible.

How can you correct presbyopia?

People who have presbyopia have many options; magnifiers, bifocals, reading glasses, or contact lenses.  That's right.  Just because you have presbyopia doesn’t mean you have to give up your contact lenses!  

Bausch & Lomb Multi-Focal contact lenses let your eyes focus naturally, effortlessly – at all distances. Bausch & Lomb PureVision® Multi-Focal contact lenses are the only silicone hydrogel lens with the world’s #1 selling multifocal design and Soflens® Multi-Focal Contact Lenses, also with the world's #1 selling multifocal design, are made of the time-tested polymacon lens material.  The choice comes down to material and wearing schedule; your eye doctor is in the best position in determining how long you should wear a lens based on your eye health, eye exams, and unique lens wearing experiences.

Bausch & Lomb Multi-Focals	Design	Material	Wearing Schedule	Indications
PureVision® Multi-Focal	#1 selling multifocal design	silicone hydrogel	1-month	wear up to 30 days*
SofLens® Multi-Focal	#1 selling multifocal design	hydrogel	2-week	daily wear

 *See package insert for complete prescribing information

Presbyopia cannot be corrected with laser eye surgery or vision shaping therapy.  

Treating cataracts and presbyopia

Crystalens® is an accommodating intraocular lens that, unlike a standard IOL, can treat both a person's cataracts and presbyopia—loss of near and intermediate vision. You probably noticed in your forties that you started to lose some of your up-close vision and had to start wearing reading glasses. Crystalens not only treats your cataracts (a clouding or hardening of your lens), but can also reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses. It does so by recreating accommodation similar to your eye's natural lens. The unique Crystalens can reduce or eliminate glasses for most activities, including: reading a book, working on the computer, and driving a car.

Visit www.crystalens.com to learn more about treating both a person's cataracts and presbyopia.