Presbyopia is the loss of clear close-up vision that happens naturally as people get older.
Around the age of 40, the lenses of your eyes start to lose elasticity and flexibility. With less elasticity, the eye may be unable to focus sharply on close objects. You may need to hold things farther away from your eyes to see them clearly.
Presbyopia tends to get worse very slowly over time. At first you may have blurred vision when you read or do close-up tasks such as threading a needle. Later you may not be able to read a book or menu without reading glasses or a magnifying glass and good lighting.
Your eye care provider will test your vision and examine your eyes. You will be asked to read letters from a chart. Then you will be asked to read the same chart with different lenses in front of your eyes to see which ones improve your vision.
Your provider may examine your eyes with special instruments to see if you have any eye diseases.
There is no treatment that can make your lenses flexible again. However, glasses, contact lenses, or vision correction surgery can help you see close-up objects. Discuss these options with your eye care provider.
Have your eyes checked regularly and schedule an appointment with your eye care provider if you notice any changes in your vision.
Presbyopia cannot be prevented.
