Care for Vision Problems

Vision problems are like gray hair: both have a way of sneaking up with age. Almost all of us by our late 40s have trouble seeing up close, a condition called presbyopia.

While you can’t stop the clock, having less-than-perfect vision doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice seeing well or looking good. New options in eyeglasses and contact lenses—not to mention surgery—can correct presbyopia right along with nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.

The latest on glasses

If your vision was fine until now and you just need help with up-close tasks, you may be able to get by with inexpensive reading glasses from the drugstore that magnify what you see. However, one eye often needs a different prescription than the other, which is why regular eye exams are so important.

Besides, glasses have gotten downright trendy these days, with hundreds of styles to choose from. Nobody needs to sport the “bifocal look” anymore thanks to progressive lenses. Also known as no-line multifocals, they seamlessly give you distance vision in the upper portion of the lens, near vision in the lower.

Contact Lenses

Thanks to improved materials that help the eyes stay oxygenated and moist, you needn’t give up contacts because of age-related loss of eye moisture. The multifocal approach so popular in glasses is now available in various types of contact lenses including disposables. Cost of these lenses varies from $250-$500 depending on the type. If you’re not sure you want to invest in contacts, ask your optometrist about a trial pair.

Another option: monovision

Just as we have a dominant hand, each of us has a dominant eye. Monovision lenses come in two different prescriptions: most often, distance vision for the dominant eye, close-up for the other. Monovision lenses are less expensive than multifocals. The most common complaint is a slight effect on depth perception, which varies from person to person.

Besides glasses or contact lenses, you can have a laser procedure to create monovision, says ophthalmologist Andrew N. Bausch, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Health Network. The cost is $3,000-$4,000 for both eyes.

This page last updated 2/9/10 03:15 PM