by Patrick Sills

Created on: January 22, 2012

Presbyopia is a very common condition that many people will experience as they age. As a person gets older, he or she will oftentimes discover that fine print and other small objects become more difficult to see clearly.  One of the first things a person with presbyopia will do is hold books or newspapers further away when reading. Why does this happen?

In the back of the eye, a natural  lens  that is roughly the size of a piece of M&M’s candy will be found. This lens allows the eye to focus on small or near objects in one’s field of vision. At a young age, this lens is rather flexible and literally expands and contracts. In turn, this allows the eye to adjust itself  to clearly see such objects. This ability and function is known as accommodation.  Think of adjusting a pair of binoculars or a telescope by turning a wheel to get objects into focus. This is what the lens in the eye does as well.

Unfortunately, as people age, this natural lens gradually hardens and loses its elasticity. Thus, its ability to expand and contract to focus on small and near objects is diminished. On average, this begins to happen around the age of 40. Note that this is an average, for some people will first start noticing this problem as early as 35 while others may not until they’re around 50. Nevertheless, when this occurs, the person is said to have presbyopia. Moreover, it will continue to worsen until about age 65, when it finally levels off.

An optical professional such as an optometrist or an ophthalmologist will confirm the diagnosis.  It’s important to realize that even those who never needed their vision corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses can still develop presbyopia. When this is the case, reading glasses will be prescribed unless the patient wishes to undergo surgery to correct it. As for those already accustomed to glasses or contacts, bifocals are prescribed.

A bifocal segment is located within the structure of an eyeglass or even contact lens that literally magnifies small objects just as a magnifying glass does. The worse the presbyopia, the stronger the magnification will be in the bifocal, also referred to as the “add” power. As a person ages from around 40 up to 65 or so, that  “add power” will likely keep going up a notch or two every time he or she sees the eye doctor for that yearly or bi-annual exam.

As stated, age is by far the most common factor, but premature presbyopia can occur with other medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or multiple sclerosis. Certain medications can also affect the ability to focus.

Just as with graying hair and wrinkles, practically everyone will develop presbyopia to some degree, and it’s just something that has to be accepted with the onset of aging gracefully. 

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