22/01/2022
I know, it took a while for me to get this piece of information out for you guys, I’m sorry I’ve been busy with my patients and all. But I’m here now And I hope ya’ll won’t get bored reading and educating yourselves about what is called presbyopia. The name sounds funny right?
Just like far-sightedness and near-sightedness, presbyopia is a unique type of refractive error that’s caused by structural changes in the lens of the eye as one ages. Look at it in this perspective for instance; a man in his mid-20’s didn’t find it difficult to do 50 sit-ups at a go. But due to aging, that same man, now in his late 40’s can’t even do 10 sit-ups without grasping for air why? This is due to the fat that as one ages, the muscles tend to lose its strength and fibres. This is a natural phenomenon that occurs as long as you’re aging. This same phenomenon relatively applies to presbyopia. People with presbyopia (mostly the elderly) gradually lose the ability or like I’d prefer call it the superpower to read and view near objects because, the lens of the eye is becoming harder and less flexible and also, the ciliary muscles of the eye becomes weaker along with other muscles of the body.
The ciliary muscles serve a purpose of stretching and constricting the lens so as to see objects clearly irrespective of the distance. Also, the lens has to be flexible enough to be contracted and relaxed simultaneously for a good vision. The ability of an individual eye to perform these functions is lost in people with presbyopia.
One should know also that presbyopia isn’t the same thing as near-sightedness or farsightedness. A patient can have both presbyopia and far-sightedness together in the same eye.
The common signs and symptoms of presbyopia are:
Straining of the eyes upon a sustained near work activity
Difficulty in reading small print
Stretching the arm away from the eyes to read prints clearly
Blurred vision when reading or viewing an object at near distance
If you do experience any these symptoms or you know someone that does (especially an elderly), this could be a sign of presbyopia. Do make sure to get an eye check-up at any eye clinic or hospital, or you can reach out to me at the University of Ilorin optometry and vision science clinic or my phone number which is on the page.
photo credit: vistafelices.com
