Grateful that since you're done airing your interesting viewpoints on dentistry that you've moved on to opthamology.
37
Spend all the time, money, and effort you wish on this venture. Raise a sweat in you eye muscles fighting with your stiffening focusing apparatus. Train your brain to interpret fuzzy images. But: as the years advance, unless you have at least one eye that is a little near-sighted, you too will succumb to reading glasses--or quit reading. Your pride-full efforts will ultimately be for naught. Aging and optics will always win.
37
Prideful to avoid reading glasses?
I wear a seat belt, watch my weight, and exercise despite the fact that one day I will die - does that mean my efforts are for naught?
I wear a seat belt, watch my weight, and exercise despite the fact that one day I will die - does that mean my efforts are for naught?
131
Hydration is fundamental to optimum reading or visual ability, in my experience.
Yes, I have slight astigmatism and am mildly near sighted. I wear contact lenses, though they are not mandatory for driving. Contact lens have come a long way, allowing so much oxygen to the eyes now.
But absolutely, if I do not force myself to drink plenty of water, my eyes will dry and it's noticed through my contact lens.
I live in a climate of long winters .. Snow will not be completely melted away until nearly the end of May. It is also a dry climate. In the absence of heat in a dry, cold climate,your body really doesn't crave water. Proper hydration takes effort.
Regardless of climate or contact lens, I guarantee the best thing you can do for your eyes is drink plenty of water.
The visual training reported in this article is pseudo science at best.
Yes, I have slight astigmatism and am mildly near sighted. I wear contact lenses, though they are not mandatory for driving. Contact lens have come a long way, allowing so much oxygen to the eyes now.
But absolutely, if I do not force myself to drink plenty of water, my eyes will dry and it's noticed through my contact lens.
I live in a climate of long winters .. Snow will not be completely melted away until nearly the end of May. It is also a dry climate. In the absence of heat in a dry, cold climate,your body really doesn't crave water. Proper hydration takes effort.
Regardless of climate or contact lens, I guarantee the best thing you can do for your eyes is drink plenty of water.
The visual training reported in this article is pseudo science at best.
31
Not sure what you think is the conduit for water from your stomach to your eye.
Pseudo science indeed.
Pseudo science indeed.
23
While I have not relied on a program like Upshot, I have successfully "retrained" my vision to lessen and in many cases eliminate the need for reader eyeglasses. I had been using plus-2 eyeglasses for 7 or 8 years and now can read my cell text messages and standard newspaper/magazine print without them (albeit a bit more slowly).
29
In the last two years, I have had cataract surgery in both eyes. In one eye, I have a bifocal lens. In the other, a trifocal. I am 68 and can see perfectly at any range, day or night. I can read without glasses...even the very fine print.
40
I have a hard enough time spending a half hour at the gym. Doing something this boring and lengthy? Not a chance.
62
Adjusting the font on my Kindle takes care of these problems.
71
This article says "your brain has only about 250 milliseconds to do this work until your eyes automatically move on to the next letter or word"
250 milliseconds = 1/4 of a second. If my eyes would take 3 seconds to scan "milliseconds" and a very long time to read this article!
The idea of limitations due to processing speed seems reasonable, but the math is screwy.
250 milliseconds = 1/4 of a second. If my eyes would take 3 seconds to scan "milliseconds" and a very long time to read this article!
The idea of limitations due to processing speed seems reasonable, but the math is screwy.
16
This personal anecdote feels like a commercial, rather than an "Upshot" type piece.
In my view, doesn't qualify as something that fits in the news section, but should be labeled as ad sponsored.
In my view, doesn't qualify as something that fits in the news section, but should be labeled as ad sponsored.
88
Sun gazing, done according to the instructions, works well for me. N.G. Krishnan's description is accurate.
8
Dr. Frakt, you're imagining gender bias that isn't there. According to Woodhouse's English-Greek dictionary (it's online) one of the ancient Greek words for "old woman" is "presbutis."
16
As others have pointed out, this article has a number of factual errors or opinions masquerading as facts. Please, New York Times, the author of this article is not qualified. The author is a health economist. The author of an article such as this needs to be an ophthalmologist. Puhleeze.
137
In the years around 50, some days I need reading glasses and some days I don't. I'm convinced there is more to it than just aging - specific nutrition interactions perhaps? My mom took a medication for a minor ailment (unrelated to eyes) and said she did not need her reading glasses at all over the two weeks she was on the medication....
25
I LOVE my progressive eyeglasses. Near or far, images are very clear.
29
It doesn't help when 20-something graphic designers (who no doubt have perfect vision) design things with grey-on-grey type/backgrounds on their web pages or computer applications (even the NYTimes web site is extremely guilty of this), or use miniscule (smaller than 6-point type) on magazine column callouts (just check out any issue of the Sunday New York Times Magazine), or, the worse offender of all -- has anyone tried reading the liner notes that come with a CD? When red type is printed on a dark blackish background (or any other similar low-contrasting color combinations)?
No wonder we are slowly going blind. It's not our eyes that are hurting -- it's our brain, trying to figure out what we are reading because it is presented in an illegible, unreadable format. (I say this as someone who has worked in the graphic design field for more than 40 years.)
No wonder we are slowly going blind. It's not our eyes that are hurting -- it's our brain, trying to figure out what we are reading because it is presented in an illegible, unreadable format. (I say this as someone who has worked in the graphic design field for more than 40 years.)
202
Wish I could have read the article, but I misplaced my reading glasses!
42
Ancient Indian Vedic science offers many natural, safe and effective techniques to care for eyes.
Softly gaze at the sun starting with 10 seconds, and increasing time by 10 second increments daily at early sunrise and/or the late sunset to improve vision, but it activates the pineal gland “third eye”, clearing the mind of depressive and anxious moods.
Start the day by splashing some cool water on the eyes. An Ayurvedic eye wash made out of well strained Triphala tea can be helpful in treating eye disorders.
Netra Basti is bathing of the eyes, means “eyes” and basti is “to bathe” a deep acting treatment to clean eyes and relieve tensions around the eyes, relaxes not only the eye area, but the whole face
Castor oil – one drop at bedtime in the eye helps to lubricate the cornea, reducing eye strain and irritation. In India, a black eyeliner called “Kajal” made of Castor oil and burnt camphor is applied under the eyes to keep them cool.
Ayurveda says go to sleep by 10pm. One of the main causes of eye problems is lack of sleep. Says simply rub the palms t a few seconds and gently place them over the eyes. This provides an unbelievable deep rest that blocks out outside stimulation and helps tired, blurry eyes.
Eye Pads –Place cooling cotton pads dipped in Rose Water aloe vera, cilantro, or cucumber juices or apply paste of sandalwood powder and water on the forehead, to soothe eye strain that leads to headaches.
Softly gaze at the sun starting with 10 seconds, and increasing time by 10 second increments daily at early sunrise and/or the late sunset to improve vision, but it activates the pineal gland “third eye”, clearing the mind of depressive and anxious moods.
Start the day by splashing some cool water on the eyes. An Ayurvedic eye wash made out of well strained Triphala tea can be helpful in treating eye disorders.
Netra Basti is bathing of the eyes, means “eyes” and basti is “to bathe” a deep acting treatment to clean eyes and relieve tensions around the eyes, relaxes not only the eye area, but the whole face
Castor oil – one drop at bedtime in the eye helps to lubricate the cornea, reducing eye strain and irritation. In India, a black eyeliner called “Kajal” made of Castor oil and burnt camphor is applied under the eyes to keep them cool.
Ayurveda says go to sleep by 10pm. One of the main causes of eye problems is lack of sleep. Says simply rub the palms t a few seconds and gently place them over the eyes. This provides an unbelievable deep rest that blocks out outside stimulation and helps tired, blurry eyes.
Eye Pads –Place cooling cotton pads dipped in Rose Water aloe vera, cilantro, or cucumber juices or apply paste of sandalwood powder and water on the forehead, to soothe eye strain that leads to headaches.
44
Risking solar burns of the retina is not a good idea.
52
Solar gazing is only recommended at early sunrise and/or the late sunset, when harmful UV rays can not injure the eyes.
20
My mom who is almost 90, did all these and more. She still doesn't wear reading glasses. And her cataract have receded, she only required one surgery 5 years ago. She is a physician. Growing up she would often advocate "palming" eyes. Resting our eyes from studying in high school, she would urge us to take a break, lie down, do some palming to rest the tired eyes and then go back to studies with a fresher vision. Back in days there were no computers or screens and devices, it was all reading print all the time.
27
Beware simplistic solutions to complex problems, even if they appear in the Times. The comments reveal how inappropriate the "training"is. Buy snake oil instead.
45
I've been near-sighted since turning 17. I'm now 59 but need no reading glasses. I can read much better without my bifocals. Go figure! But needing reading glasses is not a big deal, in the big scheme of things.
25
My optometrist told me that my vision falls in the narrow range of mild myopia that results in never needing reading glasses. I don't bother with bifocals because they'd just be plain glass in the bottom. I take my distance correction off to read, and always have, since I first got glasses in 4th grade. My friends are repeatedly shocked when they see I can read the tiny print on the back of a package, at age 59.
Sounds like you are in the same range.
Sounds like you are in the same range.
20
$59.99 per year.....sorry, have you priced bifocals or progressive lenses lately? Or considered most people don't have insurance that covers eye exams, much less glasses? If I knew for certain it would work for me at age 56 I'd gladly pay $59.99 a year to avoid the huge price difference between single-vision lenses and the alternatives. Sheesh.
Enjoyed the article. Serendipitous because I was wondering only a few weeks ago what had happened to this research. Now I know :-)
Enjoyed the article. Serendipitous because I was wondering only a few weeks ago what had happened to this research. Now I know :-)
29
actually you can buy decent bifocal glasses for under $59.99 a year from one of many online glasses companies. The single vision ones are very inexpensive ($15) so I keep a pair for reading, a pair for TV watching, a pair for computer, driving etc.
Recently I had cataract surgery and did the extra astigmatism correction so now I can see without glasses for everything except close work, and the $5 a pair reading glasses are all I need for that. I am saving my brain training for lip reading as my hearing deteriorates.
Recently I had cataract surgery and did the extra astigmatism correction so now I can see without glasses for everything except close work, and the $5 a pair reading glasses are all I need for that. I am saving my brain training for lip reading as my hearing deteriorates.
19
At Costco reading glasses are $18 for three pairs.
13
Perhaps many of you have missed the announcement in January that Novartis has purchased Encore Vision, a company that has developed an eyedrop that can restore the flexibility of the eye's crystalline lens, eliminating presbyopia. Their EV06 drug has passed Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials, and works by breaking the chemical bonds, created by decades of exposure to UV radiation, that cross-link layers of the lens, making it stiff.
If the drug continues to perform well in future trials, presbyopia may well be eliminated in the next few years.
If the drug continues to perform well in future trials, presbyopia may well be eliminated in the next few years.
69
Can it restore flexibility to the artificial lens inserted in cataract surgery? If not, some of us may need our reading glasses for years to come.
7
Yes, and there will certainly be no side effects.
1
My husband had 20/15 vision until about age 50. Now he wears +2 reading glasses from the store. I had 20/20 until age 23, when I then had a prescription of +1 left eye and +2 right eye, an inherited condition in my family. At 40, after a bad concussion, my vision deteriorated to needing a prescription of bifocal glasses + 6/11 left eye, (the 11 is the close up) and +6/15 right eye. I can read and drive and do everything perfectly well wearing my bifocal glasses. Without them, I cannot read one word on this page, not even when only a few inches from my computer. I can see large things such as houses, furniture and cars, but they are not clearly delineated. Fortunately, my vision is stable, so I don't expect it to become much worse with age.I am a copy editor by profession, so clarity is important.
26
Being fairly myopic (maybe literally and figuratively), pushing -6 in each eye, I can actually see up close very well with uncorrected vision. However, with contacts in, I find I need readers now.
Luckily, I adapted very well to the latest progressive lenses which look much nicer than bifocals and can be custom-adapted to different degrees. I've found them to be a pleasure for both distance and near work. To the point where I forgo contacts much more than previously.
Still, I'm all for exercises, so I'll give it a go if it doesn't eat up too much time.
Truly, of all things in life, for some reason I find the requirement of readers to be much more indicative of my mortality than blood pressure or cholesterol.
Luckily, I adapted very well to the latest progressive lenses which look much nicer than bifocals and can be custom-adapted to different degrees. I've found them to be a pleasure for both distance and near work. To the point where I forgo contacts much more than previously.
Still, I'm all for exercises, so I'll give it a go if it doesn't eat up too much time.
Truly, of all things in life, for some reason I find the requirement of readers to be much more indicative of my mortality than blood pressure or cholesterol.
16
I'm less nearsighted (contact prescriptions are -5 and -5.5) and alternate between glasses and contacts with reading glasses. Glasses offer better quality of vision and one odd advantage is that the smartphone screen is very easy to use without glasses. I'm 66 and very aware of the problems that go with vision in old age. After a week of visiting museums, I'm really starting to dislike the low levels of illumination for many exhibits, no matter how necessary for conservation.
14
There already is a system for improving eyesight, the Bates Eyesight System, invented by Dr. William Bates more than a century ago. And those of us who know it, benefit from it. The problem is not the lens getting hard. It is the muscles of the eye that don't relax and misshape the lens. And our vision gets worse as we age, because our habits get worse. We live more and more stressfully.
In the old paradigm we have Presbyopia, literally meaning old age sight. Under this scenario, there is nothing we can do. So we use crutch, glasses. In the new paradigm our muscles are tense and stressed, but there is much we can do to relax and let good vision occur. We can meditate, exercise, decompress, the possibilities are endless.
And it is a classic paradigm shift. The old paradigm sees the lens of the eye as accommodating, and comes up with a convoluted adhoc solution. The new one sees the muscles as accommodating. And all one has to do is relax.
And why isn't the Bates system more popular? Well, it is a lot of work to improve one's vision -- in today's busy, compressed world, it's so easy to get a new pair of glasses in 45 minutes. While at the optometrist's, someone may wave a wand in front of your eye with a small washer at the top, and when it passes before your eye, you can see perfectly. But if your lens is hard with old age sight, then how are you able to see better?
Take a sheet of paper, poke a hole in it with a pin and look through it. Now you can see.
In the old paradigm we have Presbyopia, literally meaning old age sight. Under this scenario, there is nothing we can do. So we use crutch, glasses. In the new paradigm our muscles are tense and stressed, but there is much we can do to relax and let good vision occur. We can meditate, exercise, decompress, the possibilities are endless.
And it is a classic paradigm shift. The old paradigm sees the lens of the eye as accommodating, and comes up with a convoluted adhoc solution. The new one sees the muscles as accommodating. And all one has to do is relax.
And why isn't the Bates system more popular? Well, it is a lot of work to improve one's vision -- in today's busy, compressed world, it's so easy to get a new pair of glasses in 45 minutes. While at the optometrist's, someone may wave a wand in front of your eye with a small washer at the top, and when it passes before your eye, you can see perfectly. But if your lens is hard with old age sight, then how are you able to see better?
Take a sheet of paper, poke a hole in it with a pin and look through it. Now you can see.
15
You can see better with pinholes because the f/# of the eye's lens has decreased. Its just like stopping down a camera. Your eye's lens does in fact harden from age, and the muscles do lose their ability to contract. If it was a matter of relaxing, then I would be losing the ability to focus far when I age, instead of near. But don't take my word for it - read some peer-reviewed journal articles or modern textbooks. Its not like ophthalmologists are in the business of selling glasses. (That would be optometrists).
29
Perceptual learning offers a good treatment, but for decades, there have been eye exercises that take less time. They aim at strengthening the ciliary muscles so that they can bend the lens. And for many people they work! And in my experience, they work fast. You cross your eyes focusing on a nearby target for a few days, and one day you wake up and you can read! Then after a few months, you must do this again.
Anyone interested please look up on the web. One retired optometrist named Ray Gottlieb had a whole set of instructions. Of course these cost nothing, so they have been completely obscure.
Presbyopia eye drops are also on the way, that soften the lens. Encore Vision of Ft. Worth developed an effective product, which a few months ago was bought by Novartis. Don't expect to see them in the US this decade. Whenever Novartis decides, they will probably be available in poorer countries, where they won't cut into the eyeglass business so much. But watch for them.
Anyone interested please look up on the web. One retired optometrist named Ray Gottlieb had a whole set of instructions. Of course these cost nothing, so they have been completely obscure.
Presbyopia eye drops are also on the way, that soften the lens. Encore Vision of Ft. Worth developed an effective product, which a few months ago was bought by Novartis. Don't expect to see them in the US this decade. Whenever Novartis decides, they will probably be available in poorer countries, where they won't cut into the eyeglass business so much. But watch for them.
20
Wow. There sure is a lot of (amateur) opinion and conjecture in these comments about matters that are best left to REAL, in-person professionals. For goodness sake, take your own unique eyeballs to a competent eye care professional every year and stop toying with every silly invention or cheapo bandaid that comes down the road. Exercises to stave off reading glasses! Over the counter cheaters! On-line eye exams! Subscription mystery contacts from Taiwan! Do these magical gadgets and gizmos turn around and look into your eyeballs to diagnose disease?? There are a lot of great eyeglass, contact lens, and surgical solutions. Go establish a relationship with a well-respected optometrist or opthalmologist and make a plan. Stop trying to self diagnose and treat from your house!?! (Says a 30 year veteran of eye health care who's seen and heard some really stupid stuff over the years!)
91
Self interest uber alles!
This 30-year veteran of eye health care seems anxious of losing her clients!!
This 30-year veteran of eye health care seems anxious of losing her clients!!
11
Over-the-counter cheaters are snake oil? Two of my own eye doctors have recommended them to me, including the one who did my cataract surgery.
11
Or maybe she's a health care person who cares
3
I am 52 and have a pair of glasses since I am both astigmatic and slightly far-sighted, but I hate wearing them, and can manage fairly well without if I wait long enough to focus on something and the lighting is good (why don't people mention the increased need for good lighting?)
20
I notice this myself--in great lighting, I see better. The pupil gets smaller and this improves depth of focus.
4
I had better than 20/20 vision until I turned 40 because I am slightly farsighted. I will now spend my remaining years with bad presbyopia, because that's what happens to folks like me.
Given everything else going on in this world, there's a limit to how upset I can become because of my need to wear stylish eyewear.
First world problem.
Given everything else going on in this world, there's a limit to how upset I can become because of my need to wear stylish eyewear.
First world problem.
79
Who says the eyewear has to be stylish? Better to look for a well-made pair that's less likely to cause eyestrain.
1
No substitute for good genes and sufficient light. I'm still set to go with no glasses while pushing 80 years of age. It's the dark restaurant tables that get me.
44
me too
3
You are young and can still accommodate, especially with conscious effort or will. Putting off reading glasses will not hurt your eyes, unless it keeps a person from seeing their eye doctor. You are definitely old enough for eye disease. Eventually you will get to a point where all the training in the world won't keep the readers away.
7
I am really nearsighted and when I hit about 50 (almost 20 years ago), I spent big bucks on progressive lenses and found them to be completely useless, especially when using a computer. Easier to just change glasses than try to keep text in the close-up area of the lens. So I ordered a pair about 2.0 weaker than my prescription, giving a natural focal length about 16" from my face. They're perfect for the computer, and good enough for reading, cell phone use, crafts, socializing, in fact just about everything except driving, for which I switch to my regular prescription glasses. Go to an optometrist and they'll correct your vision to 20/20, which means you can focus perfectly on something 20 feet away. But how often do you really need to do that? Hardly ever. And this GlassesOff stuff sounds even more expensive and more miserable than bifocals.
51
I am reading this article with my progressive lenses... so I think this is an individual issue.
5
Reminds me of the old joke -
When do you get reading glasses?
When your arms grow too short.
When do you get reading glasses?
When your arms grow too short.
49
I second the rave for intraicular lens implant. I had this done several years ago. You can choose between optimizing for distance or for close work. Most people optimize for distance. I chose the latter as so much of my life is lived there. One thing that was the most gratifying about the lens implant: when the foggy lens was replaced color cane back! I have been acutely aware of color ever since and am grateful for it.
11
the point about color is important. i got lens implants after developing cataracts and it was like getting a new set of eyes. for the first time in years i could see blues and violets. i use drugstore readers to read, and everythijng else is clear saillng. the cataracts were the best thing that ever happened to my eyes.
12
You have no idea of the vision challenges that await you as you age. This is nothing.
Of all the vision problems that come with aging, this is perhaps the easiest to deal with. If presbyopia bothers you, just wait for the floaters that look like moving cars and pedestrians. Look forward to macular degeneration and cataracts. I WISH there was a solution as easy as reading glasses for any of that.
And you are bothered by your reading glasses? Whiners gotta whine.
Of all the vision problems that come with aging, this is perhaps the easiest to deal with. If presbyopia bothers you, just wait for the floaters that look like moving cars and pedestrians. Look forward to macular degeneration and cataracts. I WISH there was a solution as easy as reading glasses for any of that.
And you are bothered by your reading glasses? Whiners gotta whine.
116
A common mistake in your first paragraph. Yes, people with presbyopia lose close up reading vision after 40. But it is NOT because your lens get "stiffer" with age. That sounds logical, but it isn't true. (Ask an ophthalmologist if you don't believe me.)
What happens is that your lens keep GROWING. Not a lot, but just enough that in time, the muscles that "flex" your lens (allowing you to go from close up to distance, very easily when young and instantly) can no longer get a good grasp on them. This is a tiny fraction but enough to set things awry.
An ophthalmologist can tell the age of a human lens by LOOKING at it -- because old lenses are larger than those in young people.
Think of your fist holding a rubber ball. At first, you can squeeze the ball easily. But if the ball grows a little bit each year, in time....it's too big and you can't get a grip on it. Maybe you can squeeze, but only a little.
However: the treatment can be as cheap as plastic "reading glasses" for 99 cents at the dollar store. You can also have Lasik -- expensive, but will last 10 years before you need to touch it up.
I had Lasik at 51, and today at 61, I can still read most things without glasses so long as the lighting is good. For something like a book, where I have to concentrate on a lot of text, I do put on readers now -- the last 2 years or so -- because my close up vision IS starting to fade. I need "touch up" Lasik again and am just procrastinating.
What happens is that your lens keep GROWING. Not a lot, but just enough that in time, the muscles that "flex" your lens (allowing you to go from close up to distance, very easily when young and instantly) can no longer get a good grasp on them. This is a tiny fraction but enough to set things awry.
An ophthalmologist can tell the age of a human lens by LOOKING at it -- because old lenses are larger than those in young people.
Think of your fist holding a rubber ball. At first, you can squeeze the ball easily. But if the ball grows a little bit each year, in time....it's too big and you can't get a grip on it. Maybe you can squeeze, but only a little.
However: the treatment can be as cheap as plastic "reading glasses" for 99 cents at the dollar store. You can also have Lasik -- expensive, but will last 10 years before you need to touch it up.
I had Lasik at 51, and today at 61, I can still read most things without glasses so long as the lighting is good. For something like a book, where I have to concentrate on a lot of text, I do put on readers now -- the last 2 years or so -- because my close up vision IS starting to fade. I need "touch up" Lasik again and am just procrastinating.
19
The very same defect in the eye that causes myopia helps later to reduce the optical effects of the lens hardening.
Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), who was shortsighted in his youth, and lived into his eighties, never needed to wear reading spectacles.
https://www.college-optometrists.org/the-college/museum/online-exhibitio...
Here's another anecdotal example. I was mildly myopic in my teens into my late thirties. Then, I switched from running mainly on roads to running swiftly down hill tracks late in the evening, and when it had just got dark, preferably when there was a little moonlight. In order not to stumble and fall, I had to focus intently on the rocky path, just in front of my feet, differentiating between rocks, roots and shadows. Not only did my night vision improve enormously, but so somewhat did my longstanding myopia. Twenty years on, I still have some myopia, but not so much that legally I need spectacles to drive. I have next to no presbyopia. But incipient cataracts, now that's another story!
Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), who was shortsighted in his youth, and lived into his eighties, never needed to wear reading spectacles.
https://www.college-optometrists.org/the-college/museum/online-exhibitio...
Here's another anecdotal example. I was mildly myopic in my teens into my late thirties. Then, I switched from running mainly on roads to running swiftly down hill tracks late in the evening, and when it had just got dark, preferably when there was a little moonlight. In order not to stumble and fall, I had to focus intently on the rocky path, just in front of my feet, differentiating between rocks, roots and shadows. Not only did my night vision improve enormously, but so somewhat did my longstanding myopia. Twenty years on, I still have some myopia, but not so much that legally I need spectacles to drive. I have next to no presbyopia. But incipient cataracts, now that's another story!
21
If you are very nearsighted, then FOR A FEW YEARS, as your eyes get presbyopic and your distance vision recedes...you eyesight may improve.
This will not last. Very shortly, you will be able to see distance a bit better but you will LOSE your very close up vision -- reading, or any close work.
The upside is you have a few more years before needing reading glasses than a farsighted person. I am far sighted (and also had amblyopia, strabismus, astigmatism, and the worst case of presbyopia ever seen) and so I lost my close up vision very suddenly at age 42. Like literally, over maybe 8 weeks, I went from being able to see and read, to not being able to. Lasik gave my close up vision back to me!
This will not last. Very shortly, you will be able to see distance a bit better but you will LOSE your very close up vision -- reading, or any close work.
The upside is you have a few more years before needing reading glasses than a farsighted person. I am far sighted (and also had amblyopia, strabismus, astigmatism, and the worst case of presbyopia ever seen) and so I lost my close up vision very suddenly at age 42. Like literally, over maybe 8 weeks, I went from being able to see and read, to not being able to. Lasik gave my close up vision back to me!
6
Everyone is different. I have severe myopia (and astigmatism), and have worn glasses and contact lenses since I was 11. A few years ago at about the age of 50 I developed presbyopia to the extent that I now have a wide range of glasses to deal with different scenarios - computer work, reading etc. The best solution for me is to wear glasses for presbyopia over my contact lenses.
If you are that myopic (I am -9 in one eye and -10 in the other), any improvement from the presbyopia will be minimal.
I am just hoping I develop cataracts like my aunt, so the surgery will go some way to correcting my long distance vision.
If you are that myopic (I am -9 in one eye and -10 in the other), any improvement from the presbyopia will be minimal.
I am just hoping I develop cataracts like my aunt, so the surgery will go some way to correcting my long distance vision.
9
"a number of studies"...
All of the research referenced in this "news" article share an author, Uri Polat. As he has a financial interest in the software recommended to treat this condition, I would hardly consider this an unbiased discussion of the treatment of Presbyopia.
I would expect more scientific rigor for an article published in the NYT in The Upshot.
All of the research referenced in this "news" article share an author, Uri Polat. As he has a financial interest in the software recommended to treat this condition, I would hardly consider this an unbiased discussion of the treatment of Presbyopia.
I would expect more scientific rigor for an article published in the NYT in The Upshot.
257
The author linked to studies and acknowledged that there are skeptics... What do the negative commentators need for an article? One guy says the links don't support what he says they do, but I looked at 3 of them and they all do. Amazing how cynical and negative some people can be... Just wanting to be angry, I guess. Yes, he notes a paid app, but he's hardly shilling for it, saying it isn't cheap, that the exercises are laborious, and withholding his own judgment of its success until he reaches 50.
3
Harvard Medical School and Hospital don’t agree! Avoiding eye strain by taking breaks, reading in good light and doing a few exercises found FREE on the Internet are fine. But NO exercise prevents presbyopia (farsightedness as the lens stiffens), myopia (nearsightedness), and astigmatism. And ABSOLUTELY do not stop macular degeneration or glaucoma!
Please! Leave eye problems with the ophthalmologists! I won’t ask my eye doctor for his advice on global economics.
Please! Leave eye problems with the ophthalmologists! I won’t ask my eye doctor for his advice on global economics.
121
In my 40s I started wearing progressive-type bifocals, which have been gradually strengthened until the present, in my late 60s. All along, it's been important to make sure they are properly made and adjusted. I wear them all the time, for CONVENIENCE and PROTECTION, even though I don't need any distance correction.
5
Many folks are perfectly content with this, which is fine.
HOWEVER...glasses are not cheap. They are easy to break or lose. Glasses can be uncomfortable. They steam up when you cook, or in cold weather. They need maintenance! They must be cleaned daily, with special sprays and cloths. They can be heavy. If your nose is oily, they will continually slip down and be miserable. They can pinch your ears. It is nearly impossible to do some sports, or swim, with regular glasses on!
Progressives are like looking at the world through a fishbowl, covered in vaseline, in which only one tiny area has clear vision. You learn -- you train your brain to process this as "vision" but it is still highly uncomfortable. Progressives often lead to falls in the elderly.
Now -- I had progressives and I had bifocal contact lenses. I learned to adapt to them, though it was VERY difficult (bifocal contacts were daunting, but I managed it). But they are pure crap compared to Lasik or intraoccular lens implants! They give perfect 20/20 (or BETTER) vision with clarity -- no ugly glasses -- no frames to buy -- nothing to lose -- nothing to steam up -- nothing to leave ugly "pinch"marks on your nose.
And even if you are OK behind those progressives...remember the universal indication of an "oldster' is a person in glasses, who "tips" their head back to read. It screams "OLD OLD OLD" to anyone who sees you.
HOWEVER...glasses are not cheap. They are easy to break or lose. Glasses can be uncomfortable. They steam up when you cook, or in cold weather. They need maintenance! They must be cleaned daily, with special sprays and cloths. They can be heavy. If your nose is oily, they will continually slip down and be miserable. They can pinch your ears. It is nearly impossible to do some sports, or swim, with regular glasses on!
Progressives are like looking at the world through a fishbowl, covered in vaseline, in which only one tiny area has clear vision. You learn -- you train your brain to process this as "vision" but it is still highly uncomfortable. Progressives often lead to falls in the elderly.
Now -- I had progressives and I had bifocal contact lenses. I learned to adapt to them, though it was VERY difficult (bifocal contacts were daunting, but I managed it). But they are pure crap compared to Lasik or intraoccular lens implants! They give perfect 20/20 (or BETTER) vision with clarity -- no ugly glasses -- no frames to buy -- nothing to lose -- nothing to steam up -- nothing to leave ugly "pinch"marks on your nose.
And even if you are OK behind those progressives...remember the universal indication of an "oldster' is a person in glasses, who "tips" their head back to read. It screams "OLD OLD OLD" to anyone who sees you.
9
Grey hair, wrinkles and a host of other things scream old, old, old. If you can't learn to accept it, you'll have a very bad time of it.
76
I have keratoconus, a cornea problem, and I have a cornea transplant in one eye. The other eye doesn't need one yet but it may. I have to wear gas permeable (hard) contacts for good vision. I started wearing reading glasses with the contacts about 15 years ago. But when I switched to a new kind of contact, one with a gas permeable lens in the middle and soft contacts around it, I no longer need reading glasses.
6
Beware! This is a poorly researched article, not up to the Times' usual standards. It does not acknowledge the large body of scientific data that does not support these techniques. It does not address the differences in results between studies done by people who stand to make a lot of money from these techniques and more unbiased studies. This is especially true when it comes to amblyopia - parents of young children should be especially cautious after reading this article and make sure to consult with an Ophthalmologist, especially a Pediatric Ophthalmologist if you have questions, before thinking that this is a valid treatment.
127
Do you know how many pairs of cheaters you can buy for $80? And you can leave one in the car, one on your desk at work, a few scattered around the house. I buy them in 5 packs from Costco for about $20. That's about 20 pairs of cheaters -- probably 2-3 years worth for me - and includes leaving some in purses and losing a few. And it only takes me a minute to buy them.
11
$1 each at the dollar store
9
Sounds kind of like the silly Luminosity for your brain, or the legitimately maligned Prevagen for macular degeneration. No hard science behind it. Not buying it. I mean really, not wanting to use glasses is a first world problem. There are millions of people who would give anything for a pair of specs. This is just as bad as the Internet of Things...a solution looking for a problem, all in the interest of making a buck.
13
"As apps go, GlassesOff is not cheap. I paid $24.99 for three months of use .." I don't know where you buy eyeglasses but this is certainly not expensive. $59 a year is much cheaper than $500 a year for eyeglasses.
3
Most people don't replace prescription eye glasses EVERY year. And $500 would be some swanky designer frames! Discount places can make most prescriptions for around $200-$300 and most glasses will last for 2-3 years or even longer if you take care of them.
That being said: I had Lasik in 2006 at the age of 51. I had the worst case of presbyopia ever, and could not get a good correction with progressive lenses. The Lasik worked very well, though it took a while for my vision to "settle" at a certain level. It cost me then $2700 for both eyes, or roughly $270 a year. I need a touch up now, as the very closest vision is fading away. I think the cost has (hopefully!) gone down.
But $270 a year, to NEVER wear glasses -- read anything I want, even tiny print -- drive with no glasses -- it was literally the best money I have EVER spent.
Now I am saving up for intraoccular lenses, which are even BETTER -- clearer and last indefinitely.
That being said: I had Lasik in 2006 at the age of 51. I had the worst case of presbyopia ever, and could not get a good correction with progressive lenses. The Lasik worked very well, though it took a while for my vision to "settle" at a certain level. It cost me then $2700 for both eyes, or roughly $270 a year. I need a touch up now, as the very closest vision is fading away. I think the cost has (hopefully!) gone down.
But $270 a year, to NEVER wear glasses -- read anything I want, even tiny print -- drive with no glasses -- it was literally the best money I have EVER spent.
Now I am saving up for intraoccular lenses, which are even BETTER -- clearer and last indefinitely.
5
Recently, at a bachelor party for my last single friend to take the plunge (age 53), we were sitting around the table with drinks in our hands. The game was, "who has the strongest reading glasses prescription?"
Man, have times changed.......(I came in second, +2.50).
Man, have times changed.......(I came in second, +2.50).
22
Loved it!! Funny!
9
mine: +5.50
4
I recently left Brooklyn NY for Italy and won't return. Therefore, I have this really nice bridge for sale. Let me know if you are interested....
134
Puh-leeze - a little more skepticism and research. This reads like a one page info-ad, aimed at the largest cohort in history to be facing vision issues together. Lots of money to be made!
157
Similar approaches also work well for younger people with conditions like "lazy eyes" (which can be any of multiple syndromes involving the muscles or nerve impulses of the eyes) or even vision-impairment derived forms of dyslexia and other learning disorders. As far as this app goes, training with real physical objects and licensed vision therapists will always be the preferable option - but considering many insurance plans have a hard time covering those, easy payments of $25 isn't the worst option for some
5
That does not sound "new" then. I had amblyopia as a child, and I was sent for YEARS for "vision training" in the hopes of avoiding eye surgery to straighten out my right eye.
YEARS AND YEARS wasted, and it did nothing. (I also had various patches over my good eye.) What worked, finally, at age 12, was my eye surgeon corrected my "lazy" eye. That was almost 50 years ago, and I have zero problems with the appearance of my eye -- it looks normal -- but the delay in doing surgery meant that I never regained 100% normal vision in my weaker eye. I've had Lasik on that eye, and it's better, but I've been told it is far too late to get it back to normal.
What works for presbyopia is intraoccular lens implants, or if you can't swing that -- Lasik. Everything else is a huge waste of money & time.
YEARS AND YEARS wasted, and it did nothing. (I also had various patches over my good eye.) What worked, finally, at age 12, was my eye surgeon corrected my "lazy" eye. That was almost 50 years ago, and I have zero problems with the appearance of my eye -- it looks normal -- but the delay in doing surgery meant that I never regained 100% normal vision in my weaker eye. I've had Lasik on that eye, and it's better, but I've been told it is far too late to get it back to normal.
What works for presbyopia is intraoccular lens implants, or if you can't swing that -- Lasik. Everything else is a huge waste of money & time.
2
I am puzzled by some of the links, the don't seem to actually support the statement made. And this sounds a lot like "As seen on TV!":
"The approach has been reported in the news media, and perhaps you’ve heard of it. "
"The approach has been reported in the news media, and perhaps you’ve heard of it. "
21
Is it really so bad to eventually have to wear reading glasses? This process (quest, sojourn, journey, voyage) to the fountain of visual youth reminds me of all the other ways in which people push back on looking old(er): hair dye, plastic surgery, wardrobe choices, and so on. I'm just glad my eyes are healthy, and I'd rather be older and reaching for my reading glasses and spending my time on things I enjoy than paying some company for an app that may or may not work, spending a lot of unpleasant time doing eye training, and possibly having to wear reading glasses at some point anyway. But that's just my opinion and my lack of vanity regarding eyeglasses.
49
Trust me, reading glasses suck. After you've had them for awhile, get back to me. It's not to keep aging away, I don't die my hair, but to just read a menu when you go out, but have forgotten those d**m glasses. Dislike them intensely.
14
No. Not fun. Started needing reading glasses at 43 and now I am 45. The not fun aspects; needing reading glasses to know if I've cleaned the bathroom floor well enough; the challenge of driving and reading the dashboard; having progressives and looking down when walking down stairs only to realize I cannot see them since I'm looking through the "reading" portion of the glasses; being unable focus on the sight of my food when I'm eating and still being able to focus on the person I'm engaged in dinner conversation across the dinner table. These are just a few of the inconveniences and trust me they are inconveniences (I would never say I am disadvantaged in any way). They are the issues that come with needing reading glasses that I never considered prior to having mine. While I'm unclear as to the direct advantages of the study and this app, I cannot say it is only a vanity issue and would be open to considering options.
16
I've had poor vision all my life, and when I finally got my first pair of glasses at about age 9, I was shocked to see that my mother had freckles!! (I was already 20/400, and I became steadily more near-sighted as I grew up.) Now I wear progressive lenses, and they don't suit every visual situation. However, every day I am still thrilled to be able to put them on and see clearly, for the most part. Because I remember what it was like not to be able to see what others could see. And I was even more thrilled when corrective swim goggles became available, and to be able to see so much more clearly while swimming. So exercises sound great, and glasses can be a pain (dirty lenses?) but I am thankful for them every day. But of course, I never forget mine, ever.
26