Blurred or distorted near vision

Presbyopia, also known as “old eyes”, is the diminished ability to focus the eye, causing a loss of sharpness in near vision. It usually occurs from the age of 40-45.

It is caused by a loss of elasticity in the crystalline lens, which is the eye’s natural lens located between the cornea and the retina.

The crystalline lens has the ability to accommodate, in other words, to focus on objects at varying distances. It is similar to the zoom of a camera. With age, the crystalline lens loses its elasticity and ability to focus, resulting in presbyopia. People with presbyopia have difficulty focusing on close-up images, which causes the sensation that letters are dancing about or blurred when reading.

For more information on this refractive error, click on this link.

How to act?

• A full ophthalmic check-up is recommended every one or two years after the age of 40.
• Presbyopia can be corrected with glasses and refractive surgery is possible in cases where it is associated to another refractive problem or cataracts.

Hyperopia is a refractive defect or error in visual focusing. Images are focused behind the retina so vision becomes blurred, especially up close.

For more information on this refractive error, click on this link.

How to act?

• Hyperopia can easily be corrected by wearing glasses with converging lenses or contact lenses.
• If the patient prefers not to wear glasses or contact lenses, some corneal refractive surgery techniques are available for patients with a low degree of hyperopia.
• Another option is phakic lenses (between the cornea and the crystalline lens), indicated for patients with greater defects.
• For patients over the age of 40- 45, pseudophakic lenses (replacement of the crystalline lens) can also be a solution