Is there any research being done to get rid of the need for reading glasses (presbyopia)?
Yes. Presbyopia occurs when our eyes can no longer focus on near work when they are properly focused for distance. Thus a 45-year-old individual with normal distance vision will need additional power for near with reading glasses. And a nearsighted person who needs glasses to see at distance may find that taking the glasses off is necessary for good near vision. Regardless, different powers for near and distance are needed. Bifocals are the routine way to manage this.
There are at least six somewhat investigational surgical maneuvers to allow the eye to see better at both near and distance without spectacles. In addition, some patients prefer monovision, in which a contact lens provides near vision (usually via the non-dominant eye) and another provides distance vision. Monovision can almost never be accomplished with glasses.
Consultation with an ophthalmologist will provide a patient with more specific information about how he or she might want to proceed in the management of presbyopia.
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