Can Presbyopia and Cataracts in Your 70s Be Resolved?

Hello everyone.

This week, due to the monsoon season,

I was disappointed that we rarely saw clear skies.

I want to thank the patients who braved the rain to visit Smile Eye Clinic, and with that, I'll start today's post!

While we see patients of various age groups,

recently, we've had many patients in their 70s,

an older age group, visiting Smile Eye Clinic.

The common questions they mostly asked were:

‘When should I have presbyopia and cataract surgery?’‘Will the recovery period be long?’

These were some of their concerns.

Today, I will address these questions.

Time continues to flow even at this moment,

and we are all getting older.

The commonality between presbyopia and cataracts is that they naturally appear as we age,

and both involve problems with the lens of the eye.

To explain the difference between the two:

Presbyopia means that the ciliary muscle holding the lens weakens,

reducing its accommodative power, causing close-up vision to appear blurry.

Cataracts mean that the transparent lens becomes cloudy,

causing all distances to appear hazy and blurry.

The symptoms of presbyopia and cataracts can feel similar,

so there are quite a few cases where cataracts are mistaken for presbyopia

and left untreated.

If this happens, you might miss the optimal timing for cataract surgery,

making the procedure more difficult, and in severe cases,

it can even lead to blindness.

Therefore, it is crucial to detect it early through regular check-ups

and respond immediately.

So, when should presbyopia and cataract surgery be performed?

Since the onset of cataracts varies from person to person,

if cataracts are detected early,

medication can be used to slow down their progression.

However, medication only slows the progression;

the fundamental treatment requires surgery for improvement.

Therefore, if daily life is disrupted and discomfort is felt,

that is when surgery is scheduled.

According to the National Health Insurance Service's annual report on major surgical statistics,

the number of patients undergoing presbyopia and cataract surgery

is continuously increasing.

As it is also one of the most common surgeries among Koreans,

the complacent thought of ‘I won't get cataracts’

would be dangerous, wouldn't it?

Smile Eye Clinic performs surgery using multifocal intraocular lenses

that can simultaneously improve presbyopia and cataracts in patients in their 70s.

Multifocal intraocular lenses allow for comfortable daily life without reading glasses for near, intermediate, and far distances,

and can simultaneously improve presbyopia and cataracts in patients in their 70s.

Previously, surgery was performed with monofocal intraocular lenses,

which could only correct one distance among near, intermediate, and far,

requiring other distances to be compensated with glasses or reading glasses,

which was a drawback.

Presbyopia and cataracts vary in onset and progression from person to person.

If your vision is dim or blurry,

why not visit an ophthalmologist to have your eyes checked?

This has been Smile Eye Clinic today :)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between presbyopia and cataracts?

Yes, presbyopia and cataracts both involve problems with the lens, but there are differences. Presbyopia is when the muscles holding the lens weaken, causing blurry vision at close distances, while cataracts are a condition where the lens becomes cloudy, leading to blurry vision at all distances.

When should I have presbyopia and cataract surgery?

The timing for presbyopia and cataract surgery varies for each individual. In the early stages of cataracts, medication can slow down the progression, but fundamental treatment is possible through surgery. Therefore, it is advisable to consider surgery when you start experiencing discomfort in daily life.

What happens if cataracts are left untreated?

Yes, it can be dangerous to mistake cataracts for presbyopia and leave them untreated. Not only can missing the optimal surgery time make the procedure more difficult, but in severe cases, it can lead to blindness. Therefore, early detection and treatment through regular check-ups are crucial.

Can presbyopia and cataracts be improved simultaneously?

Yes, presbyopia and cataracts can be improved simultaneously. Smile Eye Clinic performs surgery using multifocal intraocular lenses, which help you see comfortably at all distances near, intermediate, and far without reading glasses.

What is a multifocal intraocular lens?

A multifocal intraocular lens is a special lens that helps you see comfortably at all distances near, intermediate, and far without reading glasses. Unlike traditional monofocal lenses, it simultaneously improves presbyopia and cataracts, allowing for daily life without glasses or reading glasses.