Presbyopia is a refractive error that happens to everyone as they get older, causing close-up objects to appear harder to focus on. It’s a natural part of ageing and the reason why many older people use reading glasses.

Signs of presbyopia

For most people, the first symptoms of presbyopia appear in their early to mid-40s. You may find you need to hold a book or your phone further away to focus on the text. Low light can make this worse, and eye strain and headaches are also common symptoms. You will find that your near vision gets worse as you get older, up until around age 65.

Causes of presbyopia

The lens in your eye, which is what enables you to focus on things, is naturally flexible. It is what enables you to go from focussing on something in the distance to up-close details. However, as you get older, the lens hardens and loses its flexibility. As this happens, it can no longer focus light correctly on the retina at the back of your eye, making things near you look blurred.

Even if you have myopia , or short-sightedness, you can still develop presbyopia as you get older.

Treatment for presbyopia

Presbyopia is diagnosed with an eye exam. In the early stages, you can use a reading light and larger text to help, but you will soon find that reading glasses are needed. You can buy off-the-shelf reading glasses with different levels of magnification, depending on how severe your presbyopia is, but prescription glasses are always a better option. It may be that one eye differs slightly from the other, or you have another eye condition which means lenses tailor-made for your eyes will suit you better.

If you have myopia as well as presbyopia, you may find that bifocal or varifocal glasses are better for you. These have different focusing zones, meaning you don’t need to keep changing between long-vision and near-vision glasses.

Book an eye exam

If you are starting to find it harder to focus on things close up, contact us or request an appointment online. Once you have your prescription, we’ll talk you through the different types of lenses available and help you choose the best type for your vision and lifestyle.