Reading Vision Correction

Almost everyone will eventually rely on reading glasses at some point in their life to combat the loss of near vision as we age. This is completely normal. But why? Throughout life the internal lens of the eye progressively hardens and loses its ability to automatically change shape. The muscle system that controls the shape also weakens as we age. This results in the decreased ability to focus on near objects, making reading difficult. This condition is called presbyopia, and is usually noticeable by age 45.

Currently, there are several choices when dealing with presbyopia (not being able to see up close):

• Reading glasses,
• Bifocal eyeglasses
• Bifocal (multi-focal) contact lenses
• Monovision (with contacts or laser vision correction)

FARSIGHTED: Light rays bend less than they should, so they focus behind the retina.
Close-up images seem blurry.

You may not have heard of monovision before today. Monovision works well for a significant number of people and can be implemented with contacts or IntraLASIK. Dr. Mozayeni has been recommending monovision when appropriate his entire career. Achieving monovision with IntraLASIK has been an option since 1994, but has been especially successful since the introduction of the Allegretto Wave® Eye-Q Laser in 2004.

With monovision your non-dominant eye is corrected to be focused for near vision. Typically the brain can “learn” to adapt to this and will use the dominant eye for distance. Of course, it is required to “test drive” monovision before any surgery. We provide this “test driving” service under the direction of Dr. Mills and our contact lens division.

If during your consultation Dr. Mozayeni discovers a cataract or the onset of cataracts he may refer you to a cataract specialists so that you can investigate lens replacement such as Restor©, Rezoom© or Crystalens©. It is only in these patients that Dr. Mozayeni feels that a lens replacement is appropriate. Never at Providence Eye & Laser Specialists has Dr. Mozayeni recommended replacing a healthy lens with an artificial lens to achieve better vision. A healthy lens is a valuable part of your body. He feels there are better ways to achieve clearer vision.

At Providence Eye & Laser Specialists, we always discuss all FDA approved options with you, but only recommend those that we would recommend to our families or have done on ourselves. Which procedure, if any, is best for you is dependent upon many factors that will be discussed at your consultation.

At Providence Eye & Laser Specialists, in Charlotte, we strive to provide you and your family with the best possible eye care.