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Presbyopia Specialist

Smart Eye Care

Ophthalmologists located in Brooklyn, NY

When it becomes more difficult to read menus, newspapers, or books up close, you're suffering from presbyopia. This may be a natural condition of aging, but it's certainly frustrating. At Smart Eye Care, the team of doctors includes Dr. Edward Rubinchik, Dr. Evelyn Icasiano, Dr. Leon Aleksandrovich, and Dr. William Kestin. They can diagnose and help correct your presbyopia so you can see normally and clearly. If you live near or in the Brooklyn area of New York City, call the office or use the online booking scheduler to achieve clearer vision.

Presbyopia Q & A

What causes presbyopia?

The lens of your eye is located just behind the colored iris. When you’re young, the lens is extremely flexible and changes shape readily to focus light on the retina to help you see. Once you reach the age of 40, your lens becomes more rigid and resists changing shape. As a result, you have a harder time focusing on close-up tasks. You can’t stop the aging process, but you can take steps to reduce symptoms of presbyopia.

What are the symptoms of presbyopia?

The doctors at Smart Eye Care can diagnose presbyopia, but you may notice symptoms, including:

  • Eyestrain or headaches following close-up work or reading
  • Blurred vision even when holding items at a normal reading distance
  • Habitually holding reading materials at a distance

What happens if I ignore presbyopia?

You can squint and suffer your way through presbyopia, but you’ll likely experience headaches and eye strain as a result. You may also become quite frustrated in your inability to read and do other fine work that requires the precision of near vision.

How is presbyopia treated?

If you have otherwise normal vision and good eye health, reading glasses should correct your presbyopia. You can purchase over-the-counter glasses at a drugstore, but you benefit from an eye exam to determine what prescription level is best for you.

For people with presbyopia who have other vision problems, such as farsightedness or astigmatism, you may need bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses. The doctors at Smart Eye Care can help determine the right corrective lens for your needs.

Contact lenses may also be prescribed to correct presbyopia. Monovision contacts correct one eye for distance and the other for close-up vision. They do require an adjustment period to become accustomed to seeing in this manner. Multifocal contacts offer several zones set at different prescription powers, so you use both near and far vision at the same time.

Can I have surgery to correct presbyopia?

A surgical procedure, known as refractive surgery, can help you achieve monovision, so you don't need glasses to improve your near and far vision. Refractive surgery involves reshaping the cornea of each eye -- one for near vision and one for far vision. It's a permanent solution to wearing monovision contact lenses.