Having clear vision and seeing “normally” requires that light be able to pass through the optical structures of your eyes and properly focus on the retina. The two primary structures that are responsible for refracting, or bending light so that it can focus on the retina, are the cornea, which is the outermost clear curved “lens” that is visible when looking at your eye from a side view and the crystalline lens, which is located behind the colored part of the eye, or the iris, and is not directly visible. Both the cornea and the crystalline lens need to be perfectly clear in order for you to have good vision. If you are in good health and have not had chronic eye infections, inflammation or had any trauma to your eyes, the cornea is likely to maintain its clarity throughout your life. The crystalline lens however undergoes a number of changes that progress as we age. These aging changes can affect your vision.
Usually by about the time we reach the age of 40 years old, most of us begin to experience some of the visual effects that result from changes in the crystalline lens. Even if you have had “good eyes” and “normal vision” all your life, your vision is likely to begin to change in a number of ways. As we progress from our 40’s, to our 50’s and then our 60’s and beyond, the most obvious changes to our vision occurs as a result of these changes in the crystalline lens.
The two most common changes that occur in the crystalline lens are:
- A loss of flexibility, called Presbyopia, which makes it harder to read and
- A loss of optical clarity, which can cause a Cataract.
Development & Symptoms of a Cataract
When we are younger, the crystalline lens is usually soft, flexible and “crystal” clear so that it has excellent transparency and optical clarity. As we progress through our 50’s and 60’s, the normally “crystal” clear lens may gradually become yellow and cloudy. When this occurs, you may initially experience a mild blurring of your vision and feel that you might need a change of eyeglasses. As the crystalline lens loses its transparency and clarity, you may notice that it is not as easy to see well and comfortably in dim illumination, such as for night driving. You may notice that colors look faded. The cloudiness may also create glare, haloes, light sensitivity and a continuing decrease in your vision. If the crystalline lens becomes too cloudy it may cause a significant decrease in both your day and night vision. These are the visual symptoms that are common for those patients whose crystalline lens has clouded and formed a cataract.
As we get older, cataracts often become a common eye problem experienced by a great number of people just like you. Cataracts can affect us even if we have had normal vision all of our lives. It is important to note that cataracts are even more common if we have had certain health problems such as diabetes or taken certain medications such as cortisone for asthma or other types of inflammatory conditions. If you are experiencing vision changes like these, it is important to schedule a comprehensive eye examination and Cataract Evaluation.
About Presbyopia & Near Vision
Presbyopia is an aging phenomenon that begins at around age 40 and progresses until about age 65 as the crystalline lens loses its flexibility. This flexibility allows the crystalline lens to change its shape and alter its curvature in order to rapidly focus your vision at various distances-from far, to near, to arms-length, to far or near again. The focusing capacity of the crystalline lens gives you the ability to see things at all distances. Around the time we enter our 40’s, the crystalline lens begins to stiffen. The stiffening of the crystalline lens makes it progressively more difficult to change focus from distance to near, and thus making it more difficult to see close up. Initially, this reduces our ability to see objects clearly at arm’s length. As presbyopia progresses it becomes more difficult to see reading material or objects close up.
As patients begin to experience presbyopia they often notice that their “arms are too short” requiring them to see up close by moving near objects and reading material farther away in order to bring them into focus and to see them clearly. It is important to know that presbyopia affects everyone including those who have cataracts. As Presbyopia begins, people who have never worn eyeglasses find that they need reading glasses or bifocals in order to read and see up close. People who already wear glasses may need bifocals or trifocals in order to see up close and have comfortable near vision.
Advances in cataract surgery & lens implants allow us to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism-as well as the near vision focusing problem-presbyopia-with advanced technology lens implants. Near vision presbyopia correcting lens implants allow us to correct distance, arms-length and near vision to help patients achieve clear distance vision as well restore their normal range of vision without relying on eyeglasses, bifocals or reading glasses. At Matossian Eye Associates we offer advanced lens implants such as the AcrySof® IQ PanOptix™ Trifocal Lens Implant, the TECNIS Symfony Lens Implant (IOL), the AcrySof™ IQ Vivity™ Extended Vision Intraocular Lens as well as providing lens implants for astigmatism including the AcrySof® Toric Lens Implant, the TECNIS Toric Lens Implant, and the Bausch and Lomb Envista Toric Implant.