Just in the past few weeks, legendary actor Dame Judi Dench has revealed that as a result of her failing eyesight caused by an age-related condition known as macular degeneration, she is now unable to travel alone.
Though you may never have thought it, she is now 80 years of age and still working away as an actor at the very highest level of her profession. Now, though you may argue that she is handsomely paid for every movie she makes (and there is no doubting that indeed she is), this still does not make the job any easier in a physical sense; international jet setting is very much part and parcel of the job of being a Hollywood actor, not just an optional little extra so good vision is therefore an absolute requirement of the job.
But even aside from the adverse affect that this vision disease has on her career, it also impacts on her ability to enjoy the simple things in life that she has always enjoyed doing as an artist and as a person; not being able to indulge her painting hobby and even not being able to watch a movie in comfort.
Just imagine for a second how difficult this all must be for Judi Dench both personally as well as in terms of her career as an actor?
Near sightedness affects most people over the age of 40!
Of course, Judi Dench is certainly not unique in developing sight problems as she has aged, and in actual fact almost everybody (well, 1.7bn people globally to be precise!) experiences deteriorating near vision sometime between the ages of 50-65. The technical term for this very common vision ailment is Presbyopia.
In simple terms, Presbyopia is the loss of ability to focus on near objects as the eye ages. Essentially, the lens of the eye stiffens – similar to what happens to our joints as we age – and loses its flexibility, making it very difficult to read close up objects clearly.
This can make our lives very uncomfortable indeed; suddenly, all of those little everyday activities that we took for granted - reading a newspaper, checking a price tag in a shop, reading a text message – become frustratingly difficult simply because our eyes are not what they once were.
And by the way, it doesn’t matter if you have enjoyed 20:20 vision all your life; Presbyopia is just another unpleasant part of the ageing process that affects pretty much everyone at some stage!
Solutions?
For most people, the obvious solution to near vision sight loss is simply to purchase a pair (pairs!) of reading glasses. But you know what happens next...you go to find your glasses and they are not where you thought you left them. Or worse still, they’re crumpled up and broken in your pocket. Because you sat on them. So yes, reading glasses may well help in terms of aiding your vision...the only problem is that they won’t work when you do as per the aforementioned, and will therefore present their own unique problems!
Reading Glasses
For most people, the obvious solution to near vision sight loss is simply to purchase a pair (pairs!) of reading glasses. But you know what happens next...you go to find your glasses and they are not where you thought you left them. Or worse still, they’re crumpled up and broken in your pocket. Because you sat on them. So yes, reading glasses may well help in terms of aiding your vision...the only problem is that they won’t work when you do as per the aforementioned, and will therefore present their own unique problems!
Reading Vision Correction Surgery
Here at Optilase Clinic, we offer two great treatment options, Kamra and Presbia, both of which involve tiny optical inlays, which allow the eyes to accommodate near vision, without need for reading glasses and without loss of distance vision.
Kamra – the inlay used is a tiny ring with an opening in the centre. The inlay narrows the opening that permits light rays to enter the eye and repositions the focal point back onto the surface of the retina, giving clear uninterrupted vision.
Presbia – The small microlens is inserted in the pocket of the cornea of the patient’s non-dominant eye. The pocket seals itself and holds the lens firmly in place, allowing greatly improved vision in just 10 minutes!
If you are over 40 and rely on reading glasses, or cannot see print clearly any longer, book a free consultation to see an experienced Optilase Optometrist for a Reading Vision Correction evaluation. Call us today on +353 1 223 8821 or fill in the form and one of our staff members will be in contact with you as soon as possible.
