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November 10 is World Keratoconus Day

November 10 will be the fourth annual World Keratoconus Day. Keratoconus is an eye disease in which the eye bulges and its shape becomes less spherical, leading to potentially significant loss of vision. Symptoms can also include sensitivity to light and red, puffy eyes.

Sometimes, a cornea transplant is required in order to treat the eyes. Often, however, patients will make use of specialty lenses (such as scleral lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses, and hybrid lenses) or cross-linking (a minor procedure involving eye drops and ultraviolet light) to obtain the clearer vision. Regular contact lenses are often too ineffective and uncomfortable for patients with keratoconus to use.

Modern research is showing that keratoconus may be far more common than we had believed. It affects those of all ethnic groups and genders, usually manifesting itself in early adulthood. People from communities worldwide experience life with keratoconus, and Raleigh is no different.

At Fusion Eye Care, we offer treatment to keratoconus patients from the greater community. Being very familiar with the challenges of life with keratoconus, we join together with friends around the globe in celebrating Keratoconus Day. This annual event is a great opportunity to raise awareness of keratoconus and the treatments available to those who have it.

If you or a loved one would like to be examined for keratoconus and other eye conditions or to discuss treatment options, call us or schedule an appointment. Click here to learn more about keratoconus and the treatments we offer for it.

Blinking and Dry Eye: The Clear Connection

Dry Eye Syndrome Affects Your Blinking

Ever notice that when you blink your eyes, your vision goes out of focus?

Blurry vision does not necessarily mean that you need new glasses. In fact, a very common cause of blurry vision is called dry eye syndrome. Often confused with eye allergies, when your eyes fail to produce tears with the right balance of oils, here eyes can become irritated, red, and even itchy. Over time, this can, in a severe case of dry eye, even affect your vision and make things blurry.

Nearly every week, Fusion Eye Care sees patients who complain about the following:

Driving at night is difficult
Very light-sensitive
Glare from bright lights can be painful
Eyes are constantly red
Watery eyes are teary eyes
Continuous eye rubbing

While not everybody suffers from dry eye syndrome, there are certainly a number of shared symptoms that can indicate dry eye. One of the telltale signs, however, is when you blink and your vision goes to the focus. Because your vision is dependent on the quality of your tears, any imbalance will tend to disrupt the way your eyes can focus and receive light.

Dry Eye Specialist – Eye Doctor in Raleigh

If you have noticed any of the following symptoms such as blurry vision or red eyes, schedule an appointment at Fusion Eye Care for a complete eye exam and dry eye evaluation.

Your Child’s Eye Exam & Their Future

Preparing for school means new school supplies, meeting new friends and teachers, and ensuring your child visits their eye doctor for an eye exam. Although schools may offer vision screenings within a few weeks or days of the new school year to ensure a child doesn’t struggle with poor visual acuity, none of the staff or even trained nurses check for visual problems, such as binocular vision and accommodative eye skills that play a significant role in near vision. Children who develop reading problems may have passed vision screenings yet were never examined by a professional optometrist.

Another benefit of coming to our practice is that we specialize in myopia management. Traditionally, the only way to handle nearsightedness or myopia progression in a child is to increase the prescription, often resulting in thicker glasses. Over a few years, a child will end up jumping from a low prescription of -.5 or -1 to a high prescription of -3 or worse! Unfortunately, high myopia has been identified as a lead cause for eye disease in old age, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and even retinal detachment. A person can be 3-4x at risk for eye disease from having a prescription of -4 compared to someone with a low prescription.

Why does myopia cause eye disease?

Although LASIK surgery can help you see without eyeglasses, once a person’s eyes have worsened to a low prescription, the shape of their eye has elongated to a point that leaves the retina in a precarious state. Laser vision correction merely corrects the surface of the eye, but without preventing myopia progression, the damage has already been done. Therefore, the only way to safely secure one’s vision from greater risk is myopia management, in other words, taking steps to stop progression in its tracks.

What should a parent consider for their child’s next year at school?

Come to our practice and schedule an eye exam with our eye doctor, Dr. Kiarash Bassiri, OD. We’ll not only evaluate the child’s complete eye health, but we’ll guide on the proper steps to slow myopia progression. We have methods through specialty contact lenses to stop advancing myopia, but often we’ll educate parents on how to slow progression through good habit building.

Children need 2 hours of outside play. Build their long-vision muscles!
Reduce screen time
Practice the 20-20-20 Rule.
- Take a break from close vision work every 20 minutes,
- Then look at something 20 feet away (or further)
- Spend at least 20 seconds doing this before returning to your close-up work.

We look forward to seeing you and your children and getting the entire family prepared for the new school year with confidence & healthy vision.

Fusion Eye Care is Celebrating 5 Years in Raleigh, NC

To our wonderful patients, we greatly value your trust and confidence and sincerely appreciate your loyalty to our family owned joint practice. It has been our privilege to provide the highest quality of Dental and Eye care to you and your families, and it would be our pleasure to continue serving you.Thank you for inspiring us in all these years, you are the reason we stand strong! Your satisfaction and support is what motivate us to thrive continuously and provide you with the best possible service. We will always cherish the beautiful friendships we have made in the past 5 years. You are truly like family to us and we are proud to have you with us on this great journey. Happy 5 Year Anniversary

Fusion Eye Care is Celebrating 5 Years

Fusion Eye Care is Celebrating 5 Years

How do I choose the right eye doctor?

A close look at the different types of eye doctors

Eye care is provided by a few types of trained health professionals. Who are they, and what’s the difference between them? And when you need eye Eye care, woman receiving an eye exam in Raleigh, NC and vision care, how can you figure out who’s the best eye doctor near me to call for an appointment? Our staff at Fusion Eye Care, in Raleigh, North Carolina, explains all that you need to know in order to make a smart, well-informed decision.

Opticians

An optician is trained specially to design, fit, and supply devices for vision correction. That includes dispensing eyeglasses, contact lenses, low vision aids, and depending upon the particular optician’s qualifications, sometimes they also provide ophthalmic prosthetics.

Generally, opticians are not trained to diagnose or treat ocular diseases. However, if you have an eye condition and have suffered vision loss, your optician is highly qualified to fit you with eyewear and vision aids to correct and maximize your eyesight.

Where they work: opticians practice in several settings, including hospitals, medical offices, eye care centers, and retail optical stores.

Training: can vary; may consist of a four-year degree, a two-year associate’s degree, or on-the-job training.

Credentials/licensing: In the United States, the Society of Advance Opticianry (SAO) is the national credentialing body. An optician who is registered with this official organization must have a four-year college degree in optical science and advanced certification, and/or state license(s) to fit and dispense eyewear – eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Optometrists

An optometrist, also called a “doctor of optometry,” is a licensed physician who is qualified to check your visual acuity, prescribe vision corrections, Eye exam, Doctor in eye exam, Birds eye view in Raleigh, NC and diagnose and treat various eye conditions. In all states, optometrists can perform dilated comprehensive eye exams to diagnose eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. They are also able to prescribe drugs – topical (eye drops and ointments), injectable, and oral medications (in most states), such as antibiotics, antivirals, oral steroids, and pain medications for a variety of conditions.

Optometrists may also be trained in surgical techniques to treat conditions such as corneal injury, eyelid and lacrimal (tear duct) disease, foreign body removal, removal of surface lesions and skin folds in the ocular area. The specific procedures that they are permitted to perform vary slightly between different states. In fact, in some states optometrists are also licensed to perform laser eye surgery.

Where they work: optometrists work in eye care clinics, hospitals, and offices that are often located within a retail optical store

Training: four years postgraduate training in optometry (the equivalent of an undergraduate medical degree); after the optometry degree, some optometrists complete one to two-year residencies in subspecialties, such as geriatric eye care or neuro-optometry

Credentials/licensing: optometrists must adhere to the same legal standards as physicians, such as passing a national board exam and participating in continuing education credits to remain current in practice.

Ophthalmologists

An ophthalmologist is a physician who has received the greatest amount of specialized education on the physiology, anatomy, and diseases of the eye. As a combined medical-surgical specialist, an ophthalmologist is trained to perform eye surgeries, yet not all ophthalmologists do perform surgical procedures.

Within the field of ophthalmology, there are many subspecialists who have finished high-level training about specific parts of the eye, such as the cornea, optic nerve, or retina, or about certain ocular diseases, such as cataracts or glaucoma. Retinal specialists are specially qualified to provide advanced treatments for macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. In addition, there are ophthalmologists who have particular expertise in medical areas such as ocular oncology or glaucoma genetics. Eye doctor, doctor and child doing icare tonometer exam for glaucoma in Raleigh, NC

Often, ophthalmologists who are highly specialized are also actively involved in medical research. They may, therefore, be connected to major medical centers or eye treatment clinics.

If you are diagnosed with a rare, aggressive, or highly specialized ocular condition that requires ongoing treatment, then one of these ophthalmologists may be your best choice. They are also an appropriate choice for anyone interested in participating in a clinical trial.

Where they work: in medical practices, eye treatment centers, and/or hospitals

Training: four-year medical degree and a four-year residency program in ophthalmology, with a medical and surgical focus. In total, ophthalmologists have had 12 years of college-level and postgraduate training.

Credentials/licensing: can be medical doctors (MD) or doctors of osteopathy (DO); ophthalmologists may also be board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology or the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology. In addition, they must be state-licensed and required to participate in continuing medical education credits to stay current.

Why does my choice of eye doctor matter so much?

While many people, especially those who wear prescription glasses or contact lenses, visit an eye doctor for regular vision checks, it is typical to procrastinate when scheduling comprehensive eye exams. Unfortunately, this leaves plenty of time for sight-threatening diseases, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, to progress – only to be diagnosed when they cause problems at a very late stage. As a result, these two eye diseases are currently the leading causes of gradual vision loss and blindness in the elderly. Optometrist, Young Man Using Laptop in Raleigh, NC

As you age, your risk of eye disease increases significantly. Unlike cataracts, which can cause noticeable symptoms early on, ocular conditions such as macular degeneration and glaucoma can present as symptomless until irreversible vision loss has already occurred. To inspect for these diseases, an eye doctor must dilate your eyes and use specialized tools to measure intraocular pressure and examine the tissues at the back of your eyes, such as your retina and optic nerve.

Only ophthalmologists and optometrists are permitted to dilate your eyes and use the necessary instruments to check deep inside your eyes. So even if you are diligent about having regular vision tests, you still need an eye doctor who can perform a dilated comprehensive eye exam!

After age 60, it is recommended that you visit your eye doctor near me on a yearly basis. If you are African-American, it is recommended to begin with these complete eye exams after age 40, because the risk of glaucoma is much higher. And if you have diabetes of any type, it is essential to have a comprehensive eye health exam at least once a year.

Find Your Nearest Eye doctor in Raleigh

At Fusion Eye Care, our eye doctor is qualified to perform comprehensive dilated eye exams for patients of all ages. We will closely evaluate your visual acuity and ocular health. As your one-stop center for sharp vision and expert eye care, your choice of an eye doctor near me in Raleigh, North Carolina is crystal-clear!

Call Us 919.648.0800

Book an Appointment

Prevalence of Keratoconus & Likelihood of Detection

Eye Doctor, Keratoconus Treatment in Kelowna, BC.

Ever wonder how common is keratoconus in Raleigh, North Carolina?
Do people simply develop keratoconus overtime? Is it genetic?

Keratoconus has been a very complex and elusive eye disease that continues to baffle the world of eye health. Still, recent advanced surgical procedures and specialty contact lenses can help keratoconus patients achieve relatively normal vision, although the costs are generally high.

In severe cases where a cornea transplant is required, a patient will need to recover at home for weeks or longer placing strain on the rest of the family and finances.

How likely is someone to end up with keratoconus?

Estimates suggest that 1 out of 2000 people suffer from keratoconus.
Some optometrists who work with keratoconus patients speculate the rate is far more common nearing 1 out of 1000. Keratoconus, regardless, is considered rare, and there aren’t many indications that pinpoint which person is more likely to develop keratoconus.

Keratoconus is most commonly diagnosed with:

African Americans
Males
Teenagers/Early 20s

Keratoconus means that the cornea has developed an irregular shape, often leading to light sensitivity, blurry vision, and the inability to wear soft contact lenses.

These symptoms can indicate keratoconus, but further examination by an eye doctor will best assess whether you have keratoconus. An optometrist would need to use digital imaging to assess the health of the eye’s surface. Some forms of digital imaging check inside the eye to review blood vessels, the retina, or macula to ensure the critical aspects of the eyes structure is healthy. A patient with keratoconus who skips digital imaging or receives the wrong form of assessment will often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years.

In order to ensure the best care and earliest detection for keratoconus or any corneal irregularity, schedule your next eye exam with one of our eye doctors in Raleigh, North Carolina, today.

Women and Diabetes – World Diabetes Day

November 14th is World Diabetes Day. This year, the theme of World Diabetes Day is women and diabetes – our right to a healthy future. The goal of this campaign is to promote awareness of the importance of equal and affordable access for all women, whether they are at risk or already living with diabetes, to the treatments, medications, technology, education and information they need to prevent diabetes and to obtain the best possible outcome of the disease.

Here are some facts about women and diabetes around the World:

199 million – the number of women living with diabetes to date.
313 million – the projected statistic for the year 2040.
2.1 million – the number of female deaths due to diabetes per year.
9 – diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women on a global scale.
60 million – which is 2 out of 5 diabetic women, are of reproductive age, which increases the risk of early miscarriage, vision loss and having malformed babies.
10 – women with type 2 diabetes are ten times more likely to develop coronary heart disease.

Much of these incidences of diabetes occur in women lacking access to proper medical care, education, physical activity and information they need to prevent and manage the disease. If more efforts and monies were put toward improving this situation, these numbers could drop significantly.

Pregnant women with hyperglycemia and gestational diabetes are also a major cause of concern. Limited access to screening tests, pre-pregnancy planning services, education and medical care could also improve the outcome of both the mother and the baby in these cases. The majority of instances of gestational diabetes occur in women from low and middle-income countries or households with limited access to maternal care.

Here are some additional facts about diabetes and pregnancy:

1 out of 7 – the number of births worldwide affected by gestational diabetes.
1 out of 2 – the number of women with gestational diabetes that develop type 2 diabetes within 5-10 years after giving birth.
1 out of 2 – the number of cases of gestational diabetes that are found in women under 30 years of age.

Diabetes and Your Eyes

Diabetes damages many systems in your body including your eyes and vision. Most individuals with diabetes will eventually develop some extent of retinopathy or eye disease due to the consistently high levels of glucose in the blood which damage the blood vessels in the eye. Diabetic retinopathy can be a devastating disease that can leave you with permanent vision loss or blindness. It is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Diabetes also speeds up the formation of cataracts and other ocular diseases which can lead to further vision loss and complications.

Women who have been diagnosed with diabetes prior to becoming pregnant have to be especially careful during pregnancy. It is much more difficult to regulate blood sugars during pregnancy, and more rapid progression of diabetic retinopathy can occur if one is not careful. Keeping track of diet and exercise, and taking medications as directed, can prevent or delay the impact of diabetes on the eyes.

In addition to poorly managed blood sugar levels, additional factors that contribute to developing diabetic retinopathy are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Hispanic or Native American descent, smoking, pregnancy, and the length of time you have the disease. The condition can be managed with regular eye exams in combination with steps to control blood sugar levels.

It’s important to note that diabetes sometimes causes symptoms of vision fluctuation (good days and bad days with vision or focusing) but many times the damage is asymptomatic in its early stages. This is why it is essential to have regular checkups even when you have no pain or vision symptoms.

If you or someone you know has diabetes, regular eye exams are essential to monitor and prevent vision loss. Stay informed and spread awareness about this challenging condition. You can help be part of the change to improve the lives of women and people all over the world that suffer from diabetes and the serious complications that come with it.

What You Need to Know to Help World Blindness

October is World Blindness Awareness Month, an initiative started to help the public to understand the realities of visual impairment and how it affects the world population.

Unfortunately, there are hundreds of millions of individuals around the world who are unnecessarily blind or visually impaired due to causes that are preventable and treatable. Much of this is due to lack of access to proper healthcare and education. Today’s research shows that the leading causes of blindness and moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI) are uncorrected refractive error, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma and other retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa.

While steps are being taken to increase education and access to eye care in populations that are known to be lacking, vision impairment is expected to increase threefold by 2050 due to aging and an increase in myopia and diabetic retinopathy.

Here are some facts about blindness and MSVI:

36 million people worldwide are blind
217 million are categorized as MSVI
253 million are visually impaired
1.1 million people have near vision impairment that could be fixed with eyeglasses
55% of visually impaired people are women
89% of visually impaired people live in low or middle-income countries
75% of vision impairment is avoidable
81% of people who are blind or have MSVI are aged 50 years or over
Almost half of all students in Africa’s schools for the blind would be able to see if they had a pair of glasses.

What can we do?

To help combat global blindness and vision impairment, we first have to be educated. Learn about proper eye health and eye care and educate your children, family and friends. Implement that knowledge into your life with preventative eye care and regular eye doctor visits. Fighting blindness starts at home.

Next, consider donating your old eyewear. Eyewear donations can be extremely valuable to underdeveloped countries. Most eye doctors accept donations of old eyewear and give them to organizations like the Lions Club or VOSH that do humanitarian missions to other countries and provide eyecare and eyewear. Old glasses that we take for granted here or that are gathering dust in a drawer somewhere can be life changing for someone in a poor or underdeveloped country.

In addition, there are a number of organizations that assist the world population in preventing blindness and providing education and eye care to underprivileged societies. You can help fight blindness and MSVI by supporting these causes and the many others out there doing humanitarian work in this field. Here are a few examples:

Optometry Giving Sight: www.givingsight.org
Eye Care 4 Kids: eyecare4kids.org
Sightsavers: www.sightsavers.org
See International: www.seeintl.org

Through support, research, education and outreach, we hope to stop the rapid pace of increasing unnecessary blindness around the world. So spread the word. When we all come together, we can accomplish our goals!

Halloween Eye Safety

October has arrived and that means many people are already starting to plan for upcoming costume parties and trick-or-treating for the Halloween season. This is why now is the time to remind the public about some very important precautions about eye safety since there are some common costume props and accessories out there can be very dangerous to your eyes.

Cosmetic Contact Lenses

One of the biggest costume-related dangers to your eyes and vision is cosmetic or decorative contact lenses. Decorative lenses can be a great addition to your costume, but they must be obtained safely and legally with a prescription, through a professional, authorized vendor.

The bottom line is that contact lenses are a medical device that are manufactured and distributed under very strict regulations. Even non-corrective contact lenses require an eye exam to measure your eye and fit lenses according to a prescription. Costume stores, beauty supply stores and similar websites are not authorized dealers of contact lenses, and over-the-counter contact lenses are not legal under any circumstances.

Beware of anyone advertising “one-size-fits all” lenses or promoting that you do not need a prescription to purchase. Never buy contact lenses that don’t require a prescription. You could be risking serious damage to the eye and even blindness.

When contact lenses are not fitted to your unique eye measurements by an eye doctor, they can cause dryness and discomfort as well as a corneal abrasion or a scratch on the front surface of the eye. Serious corneal abrasions can leave scars and create permanent vision damage. Further, unregulated contact lenses may not be manufactured with optimal materials that are flexible and breathable and can be applied and removed properly. There are stories of lenses being stuck to people’s eyes and causing serious damage. Even if you aren’t feeling pain, it is best to check with a qualified licensed contact lens fitter to confirm if the contact lens is causing any harm to the eyes.

Non-prescription contacts have also been shown to present a higher risk of eye infection. Serious infections can lead to vision loss, sometimes on a permanent basis. There are far too many stories these days of people that have used off-the-counter contact lenses that are now blind or suffering serious vision loss and chronic discomfort.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to forgo your red, devil eyes this year! Just be safe and plan ahead. There are many manufacturers of cosmetic lenses, and these can be obtained safely through an authorized contact lens dealer. Contact your eye doctor or local optician to find out more.

False Lashes

False eyelashes have become quite the rage in recent years but they carry a number of risks with them as well. First of all, they can damage the natural eyelash hair follicles, causing them to fall out, sometimes permanently. The chances of this increase when people sleep in their lashes or leave them on for extended periods of time. In addition to the aesthetic damage, this can be dangerous to your eyes because eyelashes are essential for protecting your eyes from sweat, debris, and dust. Without your eyelashes your eyes are at greater risk for infection and irritation.

False eyelashes can also be a trap for dirt, debris and bacteria which can enter your eye causing irritation and infections, along the lids or inside the eye itself. As we said above, severe infections can sometimes lead to vision loss.

Additionally, the glue that adheres the lashes to your eyelid can sometimes cause an allergic reaction in the skin around the eye or to the eye itself. The eye is one of the most sensitive areas of the body, so you want to keep any potential allergens or irritants far, far away.

Masks and Props

If your (or your child’s) costume includes a mask, fake face, hood or anything else that goes on your head, make sure that visibility isn’t impaired. Unfortunately, it’s common for children especially to trip and fall because they cannot see well. Also, use caution when using props such as plastic swords, pitchforks, guns, sports equipment which can easily cause a corneal abrasion or contusion to the eye if hit in the face.

Makeup

Lastly be careful about the makeup you apply around your eyes. Wash your hands before you apply eye makeup and don’t share makeup and brushes with others, as this can lead to the spread of infections such as conjunctivitis (pink eye). Make sure your makeup isn’t expired (mascara for example is recommended to throw away 2-4 months after opening) and try not to apply anything like eyeliner too close to the underside of the eyelid. Lastly, only use makeup intended for eyes in the area around the eyes.

When you are planning for this Halloween season, just remember that your vision is too high a price to pay for any great costume. Dress up safely and Happy Halloween!

Trouble Seeing the Fine Print? Here are Your Options…

Every good pair of eyes eventually gets old and with age comes a condition called presbyopia. Presbyopia, which usually begins to set in some time around 40, occurs when the lens of the eye begins to stiffen, making near vision (such as reading books, menus, and computer screens) blurry. You may have this age-related farsightedness if you notice yourself holding the newspaper further and further away in order to make out the words, and you may begin to experience headaches or eyestrain as well.

The good news is, presbyopia is very common. It happens to most of us eventually and these days there are a number of good options to correct it. First of all, let’s take a look at what causes the condition.

What Causes Presbyopia?

As the eye ages, the natural lens begins to lose its elasticity as the focusing muscles (the ciliary muscles) surrounding the lens have difficulty changing the shape of the lens. The lens is responsible for focusing light that comes into the eye onto the retina for clear vision. The hardened or less flexible lens causes the light which used to focus on the retina to shift its focal point behind the retina when looking at close objects. This causes blurred vision.

Presbyopia is a progressive condition that gets worse with time. It is a refractive error just like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.

Signs of presbyopia include:

Blurred near vision
Difficulty focusing on small print or close objects
Eyestrain, headaches or fatigue, especially when reading or doing close work
Holding reading material at a distance to see properly
Needing brighter light to see close objects

Presbyopia can be diagnosed through an eye exam.

Treatments for Presbyopia

There are a number of options for presbyopia treatment which include glasses, contact lenses or surgery.

Glasses

The most common form of correction is eyeglasses. Reading glasses adjust the focal point of the target to reduce the focusing demand on the eyes. A side effect of the convex lenses is that they also magnify the target. For some, reading glasses are sufficient to improve close vision. Others, especially those with another refractive error, require more complex lenses.

Bifocal or multifocal lenses, including progressive addition lenses (PALs), offer a solution for those with nearsightedness or farsightedness. These lenses have two or more prescriptions within the same lens, usually in different areas, to allow correction for distance vision and near vision within the same lens. While bifocals and standard multifocals typically divide the lenses into two hemispheres (or more), requiring the patient to look in the proper hemisphere depending on where they are focusing, with an unattractive contour calling attention to the presbyopia portion of the lens, progressive lenses provide a progressive transition of lens power creating a smooth, gradual change. Some people prefer progressive lenses for aesthetic reasons as they don’t have a visible line dividing the hemispheres.

Contact Lenses

Like glasses, contact lenses are also available in bifocal and multifocal lenses. Alternatively, some eye doctors will prescribe monovision contact lens wear, which divides the vision between your eyes. Typically it fits your dominant eye with a single vision lens for distance vision and your weaker eye with a single vision lens for near vision. Sometimes your eye doctor will prescribe modified monovision which uses a multifocal lens in the weaker eye to cover intermediate and near vision. Newer contact lens technology is making both lenses multifocal, and therefore doctors are becoming less dependent on monovision. Sometimes monovision takes a while to adjust to.

Based on your prescription, your eye doctor will help you decide which option is best for you and assist you through the adjustment period to determine whether this is a feasible option. Since there are so many baby boomers with presbyopia nowadays, the contact lens choices have expanded a lot within recent years.

Surgery

There are a few surgical treatments available for presbyopia. These include monovision LASIK surgery (which is a refractive surgery that works similar to monovision glasses or contact lenses), corneal inlays or onlays (implants placed on the cornea), refractive lens exchange (similar to cataract surgery, this replaces the old, rigid lens with a manufactured intraocular lens), and conductive keratoplasty (which uses radio waves to reshape the cornea in a noninvasive procedure).

Medication – On the Horizon

There are currently clinical trials with promising early results that are testing eye drops that restore the flexibility of the human lens. It could be possible that in the near future eye drop prescriptions could be used to reduce the amount of time that people have to use reading glasses or contact lenses.

These procedures vary in cost, recovery and outcome. If you are interested in surgery, schedule a consultation with a knowledgeable doctor to learn all of the details of the different options.

As people are living longer, presbyopia is affecting a greater percentage of the population and more research is being done into treatments for the condition. So if your arm is getting tired from holding books so far away, see your eye doctor to discuss the best option for you.