Why do we hold print further away after forty?
Presbyopia is not a disease, and everyone reaches it. Why it happens and what can be done.
One day you notice you are holding the menu a little further away, or threading a needle has become hard. If you are around forty, this is presbyopia.
What is happening?
To see near things, the lens of the eye has to round up. In youth the lens is soft and does this easily. From about forty it stiffens and changes shape less readily. This is part of ageing, and there is no way to stop or reverse it.
What if it is not corrected?
Uncorrected presbyopia can cause headaches and eye strain.
What are the options?
Reading glasses. If you have no other vision problem, these may be all you need. Ready-made pairs are sold without a prescription, but an exam shows the right strength.
Bifocal or progressive glasses. These suit people who already wear glasses for distance. Progressive lenses have no dividing line, and their power changes gradually.
Contact lenses. With monovision one eye is set for distance and the other for near, and the brain has to adapt. There are also multifocal lenses, which may reduce sharpness a little.
Drops. Some prescription drops narrow the pupil and improve near vision for a few hours. They must be used daily.
Surgery. Your doctor can say which method, if any, suits you. LASIK does not fix presbyopia itself, except as monovision, which is best tried first with contact lenses.
One important point
Presbyopia comes on gradually. If your sight has changed suddenly or in one eye only, do not put it down to presbyopia; have it examined. After forty, a full exam is also a good chance to check for glaucoma and retinal health.