Hello! After quite a while, we are back with our informative posts about eye conditions, types of lenses and more. Customers often tell us that they have trouble seeing both far away and up close, in other words, presbyopia and myopia. At first glance, with a comment like that, you might think it is just short-sightedness, and in fact that is what most people assume first. But it is worth thinking about it a little more, because it may not be that at all. In this post we explain the main differences between presbyopia and myopia, and whether you can have both at the same time.
If you are thinking about progressive glasses, our progressive lenses guide explains what they are, which types exist, how much they cost and how to get used to them.
“I can’t see far away”: myopia
“I can’t see far away” is the classic line everyone says when they walk into an optician’s to get their first pair of glasses. And it is true that myopia, also called short-sightedness or near-sightedness, is exactly that: an eye condition that makes objects and people in the distance look blurred and unclear. It happens because the eye focuses too strongly, usually because it is slightly too long or its optics are too curved, so the image of distant objects forms just before it reaches the retina.
The solution for this condition is simple: glasses or contact lenses with diverging (minus) lenses, which move the focus back onto the retina, just as it would happen naturally.
Myopia usually begins in childhood, as it is often inherited from parents, but there are many other possible causes, with evidence both for and against them. For example, it is said that reading with a book very close to the eyes can cause myopia, as can excessive use of screens because of the blue light they emit.
When things change: presbyopia
We usually notice first if we cannot see well far away, rather than the other way round. Why? It is very simple: when we are out in the street, for example, we generally feel more comfortable and safer if we can see who is coming towards us, so we unconsciously sharpen our eyes to see distant objects. On the other hand, we notice that we have lost near vision a little later, for example when we can no longer focus properly on the letters on a piece of paper or in a book.
Presbyopia normally appears with age: it usually starts to be noticeable from around the age of 40 to 45 and is very common in people over 50. It is caused by the hardening of the eye’s crystalline lens, which happens with ageing in the same way as it does with many other organs of the human body. As the lens becomes less flexible, it can no longer change shape to focus on close images. As a result, those images look out of focus.
And how is presbyopia treated? There are several options:
- Wearing corrective glasses or contact lenses
- Surgery
- Intraocular lens implants
If you choose glasses, it is important to remember that this condition gradually progresses with age, so you will need regular eye tests to adjust your prescription as it changes. And yes, you can have myopia and presbyopia at the same time: in that case, progressive lenses or a combination of distance and near glasses are the usual solution.
In conclusion
People tend to confuse myopia with presbyopia because, even though they have nothing to do with each other, it is easy to mix up the loss of distance vision with the loss of near vision. The truth is that these two conditions are not related at all: to begin with, they are caused by different factors, although the treatment is similar.
At Lens4Glasses we offer a wide selection of lenses from various manufacturers and in different materials, adapted to your needs, to correct presbyopia and myopia as well as long-sightedness and other conditions. Our team of opticians is always available to answer your questions and to fit the right lenses into your frame so you can see clearly. Our customers’ eye health is our priority, which is why we are always on hand to help with any question you may have about ordering and fitting your lenses.