Eyes with the right perspective

They want to see well. When do you need reading glasses?

At about the beginning of 40, most of us notice that the eyes are starting to fade. It's better to keep your book a little farther and make the font bigger on the computer. As long as such tricks help, you can still take your time. But if at some point "your arms are too short" to keep the book or newspaper at the right distance, and if you easily get a headache while reading, reading glasses are due. Those insured by law must pay for them themselves. But there are cheap supplementary insurance, which are also offered by opticians.

Can not I just buy ready-made glasses at the drugstore or at the optician's?

That depends: whoever does not read a lot, does not work on the computer and has no further vision defects, can easily cope with cheap reading glasses. Basically, it is better to have the strength of the glasses determined by the ophthalmologist. From 40, a regular check-up makes sense anyway.

Is reading glasses also suitable for working on the computer?

No. Although you can see the writing on the screen well, but it gets tired quickly. This is because the glasses are intended for short-distance use only. Optimal is an additional "office glasses" for seeing in about 60 centimeters away.

Do shortsighted people see better when "presbyopia" sets in?

Unfortunately not. Above all, "presbyopia" refers to seeing in the vicinity. This becomes more difficult as the years go by, because the eyes are less likely to adjust to different distances. At the myopia itself nothing changes. This means that if myopia become "age-wide" they need extra glasses. Either they opt for additional reading glasses (and then always have to change the glasses) or they take a pair of glasses in the usual strength with a ground reading part. Both variants have the disadvantage that one does not see so well in the middle distance ranges (for example at the computer). Better is a progressive lens.

What are the advantages of progressive lenses?

It simulates the eyesight of young, healthy eyes that look equally good in all distance ranges - newspaper reading, computer work, driving. The glasses have a far-sighted, a middle and a close range, which merge seamlessly into each other. Some take one to two weeks to adjust to these new glasses. The special grinding is correspondingly expensive - depending on the strength of a progressive lens costs up to several hundred euros.

Can you wear these expensive glasses for at least several years?

No - at least the glasses have to be replaced about every one to two years because seeing at close range continues to wear off. The first reading glasses have a strength of plus 1 diopter in most cases. By the age of about 60, 1.5 to 2 dioptres are added; After that, nothing changes anymore.

And if you are used to contact lenses?

No problem: contact lens wearers can keep their lenses and use extra glasses for reading and computer work. Anyone who is prepared to invest several hundred euros can adjust contact lenses with near and far parts or multifocal lenses (the equivalent of progressive lenses). Also offered is a "monovision system": One eye gets a lens for the distance, the other one for the near. "But you can not really see it in space," says the ophthalmologist. Holger Remsch. "Most people prefer to wear good progressive lenses instead."

Checkup with the ophthalmologist

From the age of 40, it makes sense to have your eyes examined once a year - even if the ophthalmologist does not give you anything free of charge. Important investigations:

Determination of visual acuity and examination of the fundus (important especially in myopia, so that a possible retinal detachment is detected early). Costs for both: practice fee.

Studies on the early detection of glaucoma (glaucoma). These include: measuring eye pressure (even at the optician) and assessment of the optic nerve (can only the ophthalmologist). Cost: about 20 euros.

This is good for the eyes

Humidity: From the middle of 40 many women have slightly dry eyes. Screen work also dries up the eyes, because we blink much less often. Any eye drops bring as little. Because often the dryness does not come from a lack of tear fluid (the eyes can even be tears paradoxically). Cause is then usually the composition of the tear film: It breaks after blinking too early again, and the eye is not properly wetted. The ophthalmologist can determine this with special tests and then prescribe the appropriate drops. Also helpful: always enough humidity in the room and drink plenty!
Relaxation: In everyday life, we need our eyes especially in the vicinity (reading, computer work, watching TV).This strains the eye muscles. To balance, look out of the window into the distance or "palm": Place your hands on your eyes for two to three minutes, so that no light comes through.
Good light: Starting at 40, you need a lot of light, so that the vision does not work so hard - time for brighter lamps. Special fluorescent tubes imitate the spectrum of daylight.
UV protection: Wear good sunglasses when the sun is shining, because UV radiation primarily causes the lens and retina to age faster.
vitamins: Certain antioxidants can also inhibit aging in the eye area. For example, vitamin C (eg in citrus fruits, kiwis, peppers, kale), vitamin E (wheat germ oil, almonds, avocados), vitamin A precursors such as lutein and zeaxanthin (curly kale, spinach and celery) and zinc (eg Beef, liver, dairy products). Special vitamin preparations for the eyes should u. a. prevent cataracts and macular degeneration (a disease of the retina).