It is perhaps one of the signs of advancing age that no one can ignore. Because if wrinkles can be reduced with creams, beauty treatments and make-up, when you are no longer able to see closely, there is no doubt that it is presbyopia, a visual disorder that appears after the age of 40 or later. in those who are nearsighted. And this is precisely the moment in which – even those who until then have done without it – must resort to glasses.
What is presbyopia
The first sign comes when we realize that to read a label we have to stretch our arms forward. It means that ‘up close’ we no longer see well: nothing serious, but a completely physiological process that begins after the age of 40 and can progress up to the age of 60. “Presbyopia – explains Luigi Mele, ophthalmologist at the Luigi University Vanvitelli of Naples and President of the scientific committee of the Salmoiraghi & Viganò Foundation – it is a natural process that leads many people to have vision difficulties at a distance of 25 to 40 cm. This phenomenon manifests itself due to the progressive hardening of the lens which is no longer able to change its shape to allow us to see clearly at all distances “.
Single vision glasses
After a first phase in which you try to solve the problem by stretching your arms or moving away from the mirror to see your appearance better, it is inevitable to resort to specific glasses. “Monofocal glasses – explains Mele – have a single focus and therefore correct only the disturbance at a reading distance of about 40 cm, and do not allow objects placed beyond this distance to be seen clearly. They are therefore not the best solution for those who work or need to focus on objects and people at different distances, such as, for example, for those who work at the computer, who need to see the keyboard and monitor clearly ”.
The bifocal glasses
The bifocal glasses that have two ‘focuses’, one in the upper part and one in the lower part inside a crescent, allow a good vision both up close and far away. “They correct two focal distances, but have the limit of giving a blurred vision for intermediate distances (the so-called ‘image jump’) and are aesthetically unpleasant as they have a crescent in the lower portion that corresponds to the correction of presbyopia”, he continues Apples.
Progressive lenses
To overcome the limits of these two types of glasses are the progressive lenses that allow you to solve the vision problem for any activity. “These lenses – explains the ophthalmologist – have the advantage of allowing clear vision at all distances: far, intermediate, near, without the need to use more glasses or the unsightly glasses with bifocal lenses”. Currently, progressive lenses represent for the presbyopic a valid solution for a clear vision from afar and for intermediate distance, without any dividing line on the lens. Precisely for this reason, in recent years, progressive lenses have almost completely replaced bifocal lenses.
‘Made to measure’ glasses
Advances in technology make eyewear increasingly customized to the needs of individual patients. “Today there are lens processing machines that allow ‘point to point’ construction, explains Mele. This means that it is possible to build surfaces tailored to the person who will wear them, like a tailored suit. “Free Form progressive lenses – continues the ophthalmologist – allow clear and precise vision, easy adaptation and are the best solution because they allow optimal vision in all visual conditions, high stability in movement and extreme ease of use. “. Furthermore, they require a few days of adaptation as they are customized according to the wearer’s physiological and behavioral parameters.