Do you use reading glasses to read a menu, look at your phone, or peruse the newspaper? Dealing with the hassles of reading vision as you get older is frustrating, but it’s just part of aging, and there’s nothing you can do about it, right?
Not exactly. Although there are options like reading glasses to make it easier to see up close, they still aren’t foolproof or convenient. The good news is that procedures like refractive lens exchange can help and change your life.
Keep reading to find out the 7 things to know about refractive lens exchange and reading vision!
1. What is Reading Vision, aka Presbyopia?
Are you struggling with seeing fine print? Does it feel like fonts are shrinking whenever you try to read something?
No, things are not shrinking, but these are common signs associated with reading vision, also called presbyopia or age-related farsightedness. Presbyopia is an age-related eye condition that occurs when the eye’s natural lens begins losing its flexibility.
When this happens, you’ll find seeing things up close and in front of you more challenging. It affects fine print on prescription bottles, seeing text messages on your phone, reading what’s on a menu at your favorite restaurant, or trying to shave in the morning.
Presbyopia, or reading vision, is likely to occur in your forties or fifties and is another unfortunate but inevitable part of aging.
2. How Do You Treat Presbyopia?
Although there’s no way to avoid developing presbyopia, the good news is it is treatable. Most people treat the age-related eye condition by wearing reading glasses.
Reading glasses work by adding magnification to make up for some of the focusing power the eyes have lost due to presbyopia. Wearing reading glasses helps bend and focus light rays onto the retina to compensate for the natural lens and its inability to be flexible while focusing on things close up.
The increased magnification of reading glasses makes it easier to see things seen up close that would typically be blurry or out of focus without reading glasses. However, using reading glasses requires taking them off and putting them back on again if you want to see things up close, as they don’t work for seeing things at a distance or intermediate range.
Many patients find reading glasses an annoying but necessary way of life if they have reading vision. But a procedure called refractive lens exchange is changing this thinking dramatically.
3. What is Refractive Lens Exchange?
Refractive lens exchange (RLE) is a procedure that removes your natural lens and replaces it with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). Refractive lens exchange is virtually identical to cataract surgery, except you don’t have to have a cataract to have this procedure.
Also, when you have refractive lens exchange, you can kiss your worries about cataracts goodbye. That’s because having refractive lens exchange prevents you from developing cataracts in the future. After the procedure, you can look forward to many years of crisp, clear vision! Who wouldn’t want that?
4. Who is a Good Candidate for Refractive Lens Exchange?
There’s a lot to love about correcting your vision with refractive lens exchange! But are you a good candidate for this procedure?
You may qualify for refractive lens exchange if:
- You have presbyopia, aka reading vision, and want to say goodbye to reading glasses
- You want to enjoy years of crisp, clear vision without worrying about developing cataracts
- You have refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism
- You’re at least 40 years old
Do you think you could be a good candidate for refractive lens exchange? Schedule a consultation at Mattioli Vision Partners!
5. Refractive Lens Exchange Permanently Treats Presbyopia
As if refractive lens exchange didn’t sound attractive enough, it’s also a permanent way of correcting your vision. Unlike other procedures like LASIK, which removes tissue from the cornea to correct refractive errors, refractive lens exchange removes your natural lens.
Removing the natural lens and replacing it with an intraocular lens to see clearly is a permanent way of improving your vision. IOLs are made of synthetic materials, usually silicone, and are highly durable. You don’t have to worry about your IOL degrading or your vision worsening because refractive lens exchange will help you see clearly year after year.
6. Refractive Lens Exchange Can Even Correct and Treat Refractive Errors
In addition to correcting presbyopia and reading vision, refractive lens exchange can also correct and treat refractive errors. If you’ve been told that you don’t qualify for LASIK due to having a stronger prescription than LASIK can treat, refractive lens exchange may be a better fit.
Refractive lens exchange and cataract surgery are the only procedures that can treat presbyopia, making them especially attractive to patients dealing with reading vision and looking for a better option than reading glasses.
7. Say Goodbye to the Frustrations of Reading Glasses with Refractive Lens Exchange
If you want to experience the joys of visual freedom, look no further than refractive lens exchange. Reading glasses don’t have to be the end all; be all for treating reading vision and presbyopia!
Leading an active lifestyle by participating in activities like golfing, sailing, playing tennis, and cycling is much more manageable when you don’t have to depend on visual aids to see.
Why would you want to tee off while dealing with glasses on the golf course? Everything is easier and more enjoyable when you have independence and great vision, no matter what or who you do it with. Refractive lens exchange will change your life by giving you the kind of vision you only dreamed you could have.
Take the next step by requesting an appointment today at Mattioli Vision Partners in Houston, TX! It’s your life, so why not live it to the fullest with better vision?
