Varionet News
Myopia
The myopic eye
Myopia is a visual abnormality identified since antiquity by Aristotle. This is refractive disorder more common in the world . Some ophthalmologists even speak of a global epidemic: according to a study conducted by the University of Canberra (Australia) 90% of young students in developed countries in Asia are myopic against 30% in the 70s. This phenomenon is found all over the world, in the USA the population of myopes has increased from 25 to 45%.
Reading problems? What if it was presbyopia?
Presbyopia, what is it?
As we age, we all experience annoying changes in our vision:
- it becomes more difficult to concentrate
- it is more and more difficult to see clearly on close objects .
Reading glasses and presbyopic glasses Varionet
Varionet Presbyopia lens technology
Varionet opticians have developed a lens that allows people presbyopia to find a clear near but also intermediate vision contrary to magnifying glasses / classic single-focal glasses found in pharmacies.
Summer vacation: don't forget your reading glasses
To disconnect well with a good book in the sun and beautiful solar reading glasses?
Summer is well established and for August vacationers, reading sunglasses are the essential accessory not to forget in your suitcase! Indeed nothing is more relaxing than reading a good book, a magazine in the sun on a beautiful summer day. Only with reverberation and glare can reading be complicated. This is all the more true if you are by the sea, near a swimming pool...
Without a doubt, nothing is more convenient than glasses of sun to read for anyone who suffers from presbyopia and wants to enjoy a good book outdoors. The ideal way to disconnect and relax after a long year.
Reading and protection for presbyopia
The solar reading glasses offer you clear vision from 30 cm to more than 1 m thanks to their Varionet digressive lenses and will protect you from glare with their category 3 G15 tint. In addition, you will be protected from UV rays which, after long exposure, may be harmful to your eyes and eyelids.
You can also opt for reading glasses equipped with polarized solar clips such as Polar or Oxbow glasses.
It is undoubtedly a good way to complete your summer look!
How to recognize presbyopia?
Presbyopia, what is it?
Presbyopia is a natural age-related phenomenon ; it is a change in near vision which gradually becomes blurred and wearing glasses to read is then essential. It appears around 40 years, increases until 60-65 years to stabilize. The term “presbyopic” appears around 1690 and comes from the ancient Greek “presbutês” meaning “old”!
What are the symptoms of presbyopia?
These signs are numerous and happen without even realizing it. One of the first symptoms will be asthenopia or more commonly all the manifestations linked to the fatigue of the ciliary and oculomotor muscles ; you feel a feeling of fatigue such as eye discomfort, tingling, headache, fixing his attention becomes more and more difficult.
These genes are all the more important when the light is low, we approach the windows, we seek the best angle to be able to read. The most characteristic sign of presbyopia is pulling a document away to read it, the symptom of “arms that are too short”.
Putting on make-up, sewing, tinkering, reading, all activities requiring near vision are becoming more and more laborious, even impossible.
How presbyopia works
Presbyopia is due to the natural decrease with age of the ability to accommodate the lens when reading .
To see up close, crystalline , transparent lens inside the eye, bulges quickly under the action of the ciliary muscle, it thus increases its power of refraction, to form a sharp image whatever the distance on the retina: it is the 'accommodation.
This accommodation is therefore a very rapid movement of the lens and can be compared to the focusing of autofocus devices.
The value of accommodation varies with age: very important in children (12-14 diopters at 10 years old) it is at its maximum around 20 years old (10 diopters) then begins to drop: 6 diopters around 37 years old, 4 diopters at 45 years old to reach 1 diopter around 60-70 years old.
Inevitably, the lens ages with age and loses its elasticity, it hardens. The action of the ciliary muscle on this more rigid lens becomes difficult, the accommodative power of the eye decreases.
Focusing for near vision is no longer done correctly.
In the presbyopic, the accommodative power of the lens decreasing , the image of a close object is no longer on the retina but behind it . The net reading distance increases; we move the text away but the size of the characters limits this distance! Vision at the usual reading distance becomes blurred.
How is presbyopia corrected?
To compensate for this lack of accommodation, near vision must be optically corrected with reading glasses equipped with convex lenses, of positive power, it produces a magnifying effect ; then the image will form again on the retina. Presbyopia is measured in diopters from 0.25 to 0.25 from +0.75 to +3.50.
This correction is determined according to your working distance and your age.
To this defect of near vision, can be added visual defects of distance vision such as myopia, astigmatism or hypermetropia. Then on your prescription appear 2 corrections: that of vision from afar and that of near often noted in the form of an addition.
The correction of presbyopia evolves approximately every 2-3 years; you will then have to take the opportunity to consult an ophthalmologist who will not only check your visual needs and can also detect any other visual condition, glaucoma, AMD, conjunctivitis…
The aging of the eye
The aging of the eye, a subject that concerns us all!
Our tissues and organs age . Unfortunately, the eye does not escape this harsh reality. Today it is important to protect his eyes against the ultraviolet rays , blue light and for some infrared . The aging of the eye is a subject that concerns all individuals, it is necessary to have ophthalmological and optometric check-ups once a year.
The aging of the lens
The lens is simply the lens that sits inside the eye, just behind the iris (see diagram). This one deforms by pressure from the ciliary muscle. This deformation allows to have a clear vision, it is the accommodation. The lens becomes less and less flexible over the years and this leads to the symptom of “arms that are too short”, presbyopia.
After Presbyopia, it is the transparency of the lens which is reached, the crystalline lens becomes opacified especially with exposure to the sun and blue light: this is the cataract .
The aging of the retina
The retina and its central part, the macula , allows to see the details, it is what allows the individual to be able to read and recognize shapes and faces. The aging of this can be very disabling, this is called age-related macular degeneration: AMD
The aging of the optic nerve
The optic nerve is simply the " messenger », the one who will transmit the visual information from the eye directly to brain . With age there is a decrease in the number of nerve fibers originating from the retinal ganglion cells. This reduction in the fibers of the optic nerve is accelerated in the event of chronic glaucoma, a disease whose incidence increases with age.
Aging tear glands
The eye is permanently soaked with tears secreted by the lacrimal glands . The secretion of his tears decreases with age, which can lead to eye dryness .
Aging tear ducts
The tears are processed by lacrimal ducts to the nasal cavities. With age, these pathways can shrink and/or clog . This results in individuals with intermittent or permanent tearing. If this discomfort is too great then it is possible to go through the surgery .
Vitreous aging
The vitreous is a transparent and homogeneous gel inside the eye. With age, certain parts liquefy, condense... Which leads to the appearance of " flying flies 'or' flashes of light ".
Visual protection at home
The good weather is back and we are taking advantage of the weekends in May to garden, clear brush, do some DIY…
Many traumas, shocks or eye injuries are counted each year and about 50% of them occur at home.
Be safe also at home:
For most of us, safety glasses or goggles rhyme with professional environment
Daily reading glasses
If you wear reading glasses , you know that they are indispensable in your daily life. Without realizing it, we often need our glasses and are regularly looking for them!
Here are 10 banal uses that make them irreplaceable!
Corneal modeling
Orthokeratology: Night lenses only
Corneal remodeling or Orthokeratology is an alternative to surgery for people with mild and moderate myopia and/or astigmatism . This practice is still uncommon in France but very widespread in Asian countries and even in the United States. Indeed, this one has already proven itself, it consists in reshaping the cornea via semi-rigid contact lenses which are worn only at night and which allow the patient to regain clear vision without equipment upon waking and throughout the day. .
However, it is essential to contact an ophthalmologist-contactologist trained in Orthokeratology to find out if your case is suitable for treatment.
How does corneal remodeling work?
Corneal remodeling consists of wearing semi-rigid lenses that have a particular shape during the night. By pressing on the cornea , they make it possible to correct vision without modifying the deeper cell layers. To benefit from this treatment, it is necessary that the sight is stabilized but there is no minimum age. However, it is mandatory to have good hygiene to avoid the risk of infection and irritation.
The risks of Orthokeratology
Like any treatment, there are several more or less dangerous risks:
- The lens can move during the night which would disturb the view the next day
– Eye infections and irritations if hygiene is not impeccable
– Have poor eyesight at night if the patient has to get up urgently (to take care of a baby, for example).
In order to avoid any problem, it is important to be followed by an ophthalmologist trained in Orthokeratology .
