Your Eyes Over 40 – Vision Changes

As you move into your forties, you most likely you have noticed that your vision is changing. It’s normal for all of us but can be very frustrating. You may have experienced difficulty reading and focusing on work up-close. Most people notice the change between the ages of 40 and 60 years of age and it is called “presbyopia”. Presbyopia is a normal condition that comes with the normal aging process that affects the eyes. The lens in your eye is normally very flexible and changes shape as we attempt to focus on objects near and far. As we age, the lens loses its flexibility, which intern makes it difficult to focus on objects close-up.  People who may have never experienced vision problems during their life will still be affected by presbyopia.

While presbyopia is the most common condition that affects older patients, eye sight is not the only condition of which people over forty should be aware. Adults over forty may be particularly at risk for the development of vision and chronic eye problems brought on by a host of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or Crohn’s disease to mention just a few. Some adults may experience problems tied to family history of macular degeneration and glaucoma. Even certain medications taken over time can cause some people experience vision problems.

Not all is lost… with today’s technological breakthroughs in the medical field, ophthalmologists have a host of remedies and procedures to tackle many of today’s debilitating vision problems. The good news is that many of the procedures have a proven track record of success for millions of patients. The first and most important steps are to have your eyes examined regularly by a medical doctor or ophthalmologist. Some people confuse the difference between “Optometrists” and “Ophthalmologist”. An optometrist can diagnose eye diseases but typically many just concentrate on prescribing contact lenses and glasses. An ophthalmologist is a licensed medical doctor who diagnoses and treats eye diseases with surgical procedures. An ophthalmologist will also prescribe contact lenses and glasses. An ophthalmologist will be able to test your eyes and visually check the interior of each of your eyes for their overall health.

If you are suffering from presbyopia, as many adults over forty are, you are in luck! A treatment for presbyopia patients is now available that corrects vision and restores patients to 20/20 vision. The best part is that for patients that undergo the procedure, most never need glasses or contacts lenses ever again! How exciting is that! This new procedure is called “refractive lens replacement”. The procedure has had very successful results and many times releases patients from the chains of wearing glasses or contact lenses for the rest of their lives.

There are many different factors that can determine if you’re a candidate for an IOL. At Shady Grove Ophthalmology, we are able to determine not only if you are a candidate but which interocular lens or IOL is right for your life style. An IOL is a complete lens replacement. It is a surgical procedure on the eye in which your eyes naturally aged hardened lens is replaced with a corrective lens. The lens comes in many different types. There are lenses that are astigmatism correcting multifocal lens, active focus lenses as well as astigmatism correcting monofocal lens. After your initial comprehensive exam, we will be able to determine the right lens suited for your eyes. It is very important that the right lens is chosen for your lifestyle, as this procedure will change the very way you see the world! Until now there has never been a procedure that can completely free many patients from the use of contact lenses or glasses.

Another form of treatment for presbyopia is LASIK eye surgery. At Shady Grove Ophthalmology, we offer a new state-of-the-art form of LASIK called “Contoura® Personalized Typography Guided LASIK.

LASIK is a form of laser vision correction that uses a laser to precisely reshape the cornea of each affected eye. LASIK corrects astigmatism, farsightedness or “hyperopia” as well as nearsightedness “myopia” eye conditions. LASIK is a vision correction surgery. It only takes minutes to perform and most patients have little or no post-operative discomfort. The benefit is immediate vision improvement and the ability to return to an active lifestyle right away! Imagine the excitement of almost instantly seeing things around you clearly without the dependency of contacts or glasses. If you are considering LASIK eye surgery, you most likely already wear contacts or eyeglasses.  Get ready to shed the use of contact lenses and/or glasses and get clear vision. Dr. Roberts is a Maryland Ophthalmologist with an extensive history of successful LASIK eye surgeries.  

Cataracts – another vision debilitating condition that once again affects people as they age. A cataract is formed when the lens in your eye gradually becomes cloudy limiting the light that is focused on the eye's retina. This condition is also onset with age and can be resolved with cataract surgery. Millions of patients have undergone cataract surgery with stellar results. Much like the previous procedure the eyes lens is replaced with an interocular lens or IOL by way of eye surgery. Typical symptoms for cataract patients are:

• Blurry or hazy vision
• Double vision
• Difficulty seeing at night or in low light situations
• Inability to see clearly in bright light situations
• Halo effects around lights
• Yellow or tinged vision

Laser Cataract eye surgery is the proven method for treating cataracts and can restore vision and reduce the dependence on eyeglasses and contact lenses. To learn more about cataract surgery you should contact Shady Grove Ophthalmology and schedule a consultation with Dr. Anthony O. Roberts.

Clear vision is important to everyone. As we age, it is natural that we experience vision problems but as we have mentioned above, we have solutions and proven procedures that can return most people to clear vision without the need of glasses after the age of forty. The state of the art procedures mentioned are safe and have all been approved by the FDA. At Shady Grove Ophthalmology, “Your Vision is Our Primary Focus” and we will continue to improve our techniques and procedures to restore vision using the most state-of-the-art and safest methods available.  At Shady Grove Ophthalmology, led by Dr. Anthony O. Roberts, M.D. we provide quality eye care in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

About Shady Grove Ophthalmology

Shady Grove Ophthalmology is one of the Washington, DC area’s premier cataract and LASIK vision correction practices. Founded by Dr. Anthony O. Roberts, Shady Grove Ophthalmology is regarded as one of the premier ophthalmology practices in Maryland. Shady Grove Ophthalmology provides comprehensive vision care including general eye care, cataract removal surgery and care, glaucoma treatment, dry eye treatment and other comprehensive eye care treatments. Patients can schedule an appointment and LASIK consultation by calling (301) 279-0600 or visiting http://www.ShadyGroveOphthalmology.com