Presbyopia

Presbyopia

Presbyopia is a natural occurrence associated with aging in which the normally soft and flexible crystalline lens of the eye hardens and becomes less elastic.  This makes the lens less able to focus incoming light from near objects, thereby causing blurred vision at reading distance.

It is not a disease or an illness—it’s a normal, natural part of the aging process, and it happens to just about everyone around the age of 40.

What causes presbyopia?

In young people, the lens is soft and flexible, and readily changes shape to focus. As you age, the lenses in your eyes lose elasticity. When this happens, your eyes are less able to adjust quickly to rapid changes in focus from distance to near objects. Eventually, they lose their ability to focus for different distances.

What are the symptoms?

People with presbyopia often believe they have become farsighted; while they can read street signs and watch movies comfortably, they are unable to bring small print, such as the telephone book, or close work, such as embroidery, into focus. In fact, whereas farsightedness is caused by a misshapen eye, presbyopia is simply the result of the lens becoming less flexible.

How can you correct presbyopia?

People who have presbyopia have many options; magnifiers, bifocals, reading glasses, or contact lenses.  That’s right.  Just because you have presbyopia doesn’t mean you have to give up your contact lenses!

Presbyopia cannot be corrected with laser eye surgery or vision shaping therapy.