Introduction
When asking the question: ‘What is the best age for vision correction?’ Unfortunately, as with all things medical, there is no hard and fast answer. Just as we have unique fingerprints and voices, so our eyes are also very unique. What might be good for one person at a certain age, might be ill-advised for someone else of the same age.
Certain past and present factors influence each and every one of our visions. Past injuries might have affected your vision in some way, or perhaps a certain environmental factor or some genetic defect is currently affecting your eyes. Slow development is a reason how age can cause vision to differ.
But based on decades of data, we can make scientific predictions and evaluations on which ages roughly seem to be the best for vision correction.
Younger than nineteen
The human body undergoes a significant amount of change from when we are born and this only increases once we reach puberty. Girls have completed most of their physical growth at the age of 16 and for boys, 18.
Even though young bodies might be in the final stages of growth and development, most experts agree that the eyes will still be changing until the age of 19. It is for this reason that most ophthalmologists do not recommend vision correction until at least after 19. The problem is that if you get vision correction at a young age, your eyes change more, and you have to do it again in a few years!
Exceptions to this of course do exist in the form of children with very severe vision problems.
Nineteen to forty
This is the sweet spot for vision correction. According to most ophthalmologists, after the age of nineteen, majority of people’s prescription would have stabilized and the chances of further vision development is minimal. Doctors will however make sure that your prescription has not changed significantly in the past year. A stable prescription is a key requirement to be eligible for vision correction.
Forty to fifty
After the age of 40 our eyes begin to change again due to age related factors, known as presbyopia. Even if you have had perfect vision your entire life, you might find yourself struggling to see more and more for short distance. After the age of forty the reason for your deteriorating vision could now be due to a host of other reasons that might not have been likely at a younger age. For this reason vision correction is still possible and might be a good option in some cases with presbyopia correction. But, there is also a chance that you might be suffering from other age related vision issues, in which case LASIK, LASEK or SMILE might not be a good option for you. An example of this might be cataracts.
Fifty five and older
It should be noted there is no upper limit on laser eye surgery. But, as we age, factors that might complicate laser eye surgery become more numerous and therefore careful evaluation has to be conducted before receiving surgery. One of the leading causes of vision difficulty among seniors is cataracts, and therefore refractive cataract surgery might be a better option.
How do I know?
The best indications for surgery eligibility is overall good health and no medical family history. If you are considering vision correction, the best option is to see a qualified ophthalmologist, regardless of your age. Contact us at B&VIIT to schedule an appointment today!