Understanding Reading Difficulties After Age 40

Presbyopia is the gradual loss of your eye’s ability to focus on near objects once you reach your early 40s. Most people first become aware of the symptoms when needing to hold reading material further away to make it clear. The exact mechanism is still being investigated, but it widely accepted to be related to the crystalline lens within the eye thickening, hardening, and therefore becoming less flexible. This flexibility is necessary for the eye to focus on near objects. The ciliary body, the muscle responsible for flexing the lens, is likely also undergoing age related changes at the same time. It is an annoying, but natural, part of aging.

Be Spooky, Not Dangerous: Halloween Contact Lens Safety

It’s almost Halloween and time to plan your costume. One fun addition to Halloween costumes are colored contact lenses. Colored contact lenses as part of a Halloween costume might seem like a fun addition to the costume’s overall look, but contact lenses worn for cosmetic purposes pose a threat to your eye health and vision if not properly fitted.

New Options for Macular Degeneration

Courtesy of Amy Messere

Recent animal research from Tufts University suggests that specially formulated eye drops may hold promise for the treatment of the most common form of central blindness in the elderly: wet macular degeneration.

The Disease

Macular degeneration is divided into two groups, wet and dry. Wet macular degeneration is devastating.