As you get older, changes occur in the internal focusing muscles, and the natural lens inside your eye, resulting in difficulty in focusing and seeing up close. This condition is called Presbyopia or “middle-age long-sightedness”
Presbyopia results from the natural aging process and occurs somewhere between the ages of 40-50. The exact age at which the blurring of near vision becomes apparent is variable for each individual and cannot be predicted.
The natural focusing lens is soft and flexible can change shape easily (accommodation) allowing you to focus for near and far. As we age, the lens becomes rigid and cannot change shape (loss of accommodation) as easily as it once did making it difficult to focus clearly on close objects. In addition, the focusing muscles that need to work to change the shape of your lens also gets weaker with age and this also contributes to the difficulty in focusing up close
You will have difficulty with reading or other near-vision activities, which is usually worse in dim light. You may experience fatigue, tired eyes or even headaches by the end of the day. Most people find that there is a lag time when changing focus from distance to near and that they have to constantly reposition reading material (usually holding it further away) in order to find the right focus.
YES. It happens to everyone as we age and regardless of whether or not you have worn spectacles.
NO. Just as we are not able to reverse growing old, there is no way to prevent presbyopia. No medications, vitamins or exercises can stop or reverse presbyopia
YES. There are now several treatment options that can
reduce your need for reading glasses. Previously, your only option was to wear reading
glasses.
Presbyopia Treatment
This is dependent on your eye condition and glasses power and also on your age, profession, hobbies, desires. A thorough eye examination and discussion with your eye doctor is needed before we determine which option is most suitable for you.