What is presbyopia (eyestrain)?
Commonly known as eyestrain, presbyopia is the loss of accommodation, that is, the ability to maintain a sharp image of an object as it approaches us. Thus, presbyopia implies an increase in the optical power of the eye; for example, to focus at 33 centimeters from the eye we must accommodate 3 diopters.
It is estimated that in 2020 there will be 2.3 billion people with eyestrain in the world.
Prognosis of the disease
Eyestrain appears gradually and evolves over time. It can be treated with temporary or permanent techniques, so its prognosis will depend on which one is applied, although it is not a serious pathology.
Symptoms of presbyopia (eyestrain)
Presbyopia manifests itself with difficulty focusing on close-up images; it can also cause headaches when looking at a book or computer screen.
Presbyopia appears gradually and evolves over time.
Medical tests for presbyopia (eyestrain)
The specialist can perform a study of the patient’s accommodation, measuring the amplitude and monocular and binocular accommodative flexibility. When it is detected that the accommodation is unbalanced, exercises can be performed whose results have been shown to be satisfactory; these exercises consist of a visual therapy focused on reading practices in near vision with positive and/or negative lenses of different powers, training with flippers in near vision or changes of focus from distance to near vision through Hart’s tables, among others.
What are the causes of presbyopia (eyestrain)?
Presbyopia is caused by a loss of elasticity of the crystalline lens, which is the natural lens of the eye that has the ability to focus on objects. Over the years, the crystalline lens loses elasticity and focusing ability.
Can it be prevented?
Presbyopia cannot be prevented, as it is an age-related problem. However, it is important to have your eyesight checked periodically after the age of 40 to detect age-related pathologies.
Treatments for presbyopia (eyestrain)
There is no definitive treatment for eyestrain, but there are techniques to compensate for the loss of focusing ability. The most common is glasses, and there are different types of lenses depending on the case:
- Bifocal lenses: for distance and near vision.
- Trifocal lenses, for short, medium and long distance focusing.
- Progressive lenses; the upper part of the lens is for distance vision, the lower part for near vision and the central part covers all distances.
- Occupational lenses: for short and medium distances; especially indicated for people who spend many hours in front of the computer.
Even so, surgery is increasingly being used to eliminate the problem of eyestrain. For this purpose, there are different techniques:
- Laser surgery: through which the cornea is molded to increase the depth of focus and thus compensate for the loss of focusing ability.
- Intracorneal lens implantation: these are placed in the cornea and affect the corneal curvature to combat the inability to accommodate.
- Intraocular lens implantation: the crystalline lens is replaced by an intraocular lens, which can be monofocal, bifocal and trifocal, depending on the distance needed.
Which specialist treats you?
The specialist who treats eyestrain is the ophthalmologist.