Presbyopia now a disease of the young

Presbyopia is a disorder of the eyes, caused due to the decreased or loss of elasticity in the lens of the eyes, making it difficult to focus on the objects nearby. Until a few years ago, this was believed to be found typically in people aged around 40 years. But there has been a rising number of cases where young people, between the age group of 13 and 35 years have been diagnosed with the same.       

"We have found that 40 per cent of the people in their early 30's who visit our hospital, suffer from presbyopia. More and more young people have been visiting our hospital for this issue. Symptoms are accompanied by headache and eye strain," says Dr. Hemalatha Vidyashankar, Medical Director and Director of Pediatric Ophthalmology of Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital. According to World Health Organisation, more than a billion people in the world were presbyopic as of 2005, while the number has doubled in 2015.

This disorder in young people is attributed to excessive use of tablets, phone, and laptops. "There is a huge increase in the number of hours that people spend on gadgets and which is affecting their overall health of the eyes," added Dr. S Natrajan, veteran Ophthalmologist and Chairman and Managing Director of the said hospital. According to a study that is being currently conducted by Dr. Vidyashankar, there has also been an increase in the number of students between 6 to 18 years with asthenopic symptoms like headache and eye strain. This too, is being attributed to the exceeding number of hours that they spend on study purpose or recreational purposes. "Parents need to be assertive and judicious when it comes to giving their children digital gadgets," Dr Vidyashankar adds.

Presbyopia is something that is not avoidable once you reach 40, it is like greying of hair, it's part of the aging process. But this disorder has now pushed new age limit due to the constant strain that the eyes bear owing to the excessive use of gadgets. "There is a need to take frequent breaks while working on gadgets for long hours. Along with this it is also essential to blink more as we don't realise that we tend to sort of stare when are using the gadgets," says Dr. Natrajan. There's no proven technique for preventing presbyopia at any age, as the gradual decline of the ability to focus on near objects affects everyone. However, there are few things that should be kept in mind for overall health of the eyes

Get regular eye examinationsControl chronic health conditions that could contribute to vision loss, such as diabetes or high blood pressureWear UV protected sunglassesWear protective eyeglasses when participating in activities that could result in eye injuryEat a healthy diet with foods containing antioxidants, vitamin A and beta caroteneMake sure you're using the correct power of eyeglassesUse good lighting when readingMaintain proper distance between the eye and the book while readingAvoid excessive use of smartphones and visual display terminalsTalk to your doctor or eye specialist about any changes in your vision or eye healthMany eye diseases and conditions can benefit from early intervention and treatment