Aging of Eyes:
As we age, our eyes can develop certain conditions that affect the way we see and the way we live our lives. Lasik eye surgery is an effective treatment for these varying conditions, providing a solution for serious conditions and allowing people to live their lives without the use of contacts or eyeglasses.
There are industry guidelines for Lasik eye surgery, but for the most part there is no “best age” range for the procedure because of the wide range of conditions it can treat.
The Recommended Age for Lasik Surgery:
Although there is no set age limit for Lasik eye surgeries, most providers generally recommend that patients be at least 18 years of age for Lasik eye surgery. This is the most common age where the prescription of the eye has become relatively stable.
Yet it’s important to remember that if patients have laser surgery and the prescription changes in the future, additional surgery can be performed that can mitigate the change in the eye. In rare cases, Lasik has been performed on children who suffer from severe vision problems, and even the extremely elderly.
Although there is no set age limit, practitioners will work with you to determine the best timing for Lasik surgery for your specific case.
The most common age for Lasik falls between the ages of 20 and 40. Having a stable prescription for at least two years is often required as proof before anyone, regardless of his or her age, is deemed a good candidate for Lasik. Once a stable prescription is maintained, a patient is an ideal candidate for Lasik – but every case is unique.
Presbyopia or Far sightedness:
Once a person reaches the age of 40, their eyes start to evolve again. This is why many people need reading glasses around this age due to a condition known as presbyopia. Presbyopia is also known as farsightedness, and is caused by a loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye, occurring typically in middle and old age.
Somewhere around age 60, our eyes start to change yet again. This is when a heavy risk of cataracts develops, and with each passing year that risk increases. Some lucky individuals will reach the age of 70 or 80 with no cataracts developing at all – maintaining otherwise healthy eyes.
Yet despite being outside the common age range for Lasik, these individuals can still be good candidates for laser eye surgery. In some cases, it can be possible that a 70-year-old without cataracts or other eye illnesses is actually a better candidate than a 30-year-old with dry eyes and suffering from diabetes. Age provides a guideline and an influence on an individual’s candidature for Lasik, but it is by no means a strict boundary.
If you are in relatively good health, have a stable eye prescription and are considering Lasik, talk to a laser vision correction provider today to assess your eligibility. That is, if you need to ensure that you are a good candidate for the procedure, you can undergo a free lasik consultation– it could be the first step you take to an entirely new life.
