Presbyopia: The Basics

Ever hold your phone farther away, crank up the font, or squint at small print? That’s presbyopia—age-related trouble focusing on close things.

Signs of Presbyopia

· Blurry small print at your usual reading distance.

· Moving books/phones farther away to see clearly.

· Needing brighter light for close tasks.

· Eye strain, aches, or headaches after reading up close.

Even 50-year-olds without these signs might have it—it just hasn’t shown yet.

What Causes It?

Presbyopia starts around 45, when the eye’s lens loses flexibility. Think of your eye as a camera: the lens bends to focus close up, but with age, it can’t bend as well. Close objects blur because they focus behind the retina. You’ll need magnifying (convex) lenses to fix this.

It gets worse with time: +50 degrees every 5 years, maxing out at +300 to +350. Age is key, but health issues (diabetes, anemia) or meds (antidepressants, antihistamines) can make it start earlier.

Do Nearsighted People Skip It?

No—everyone gets it, but symptoms differ:

· Farsighted folks notice it sooner: They already strain more to focus close, so losing flexibility hits harder.

· Nearsighted people (no glasses) might not notice: Their eyes naturally focus close, so reduced flexibility may still work.

· Nearsighted people (with glasses) may struggle: Glasses fix distance vision, so they need extra help for close tasks.

What to Do

1. Tweak Your Space

· Brighten up: Use overhead lights + a desk lamp for reading (sharper contrast).

· Larger fonts: High-contrast (black on white) is easiest.

· Take breaks: Switch between near and far focus to avoid strain.

2. Get the Right Glasses

You need a prescription—magnifying lenses that account for your existing vision (nearsightedness, etc.).

· Update as needed: Strength increases with age.

· Choose lenses: Single-vision (close only), bifocals (close + far), or progressives (smooth shift between distances).

3. Surgery

If you hate glasses, presbyopia-correcting surgery is an option—it’s getting better.

Myths vs. Facts

Myth: Presbyopia = farsightedness.
Fact: Farsightedness is lifelong (needs lenses for far and close). Presbyopia is age-related, only affecting close focus.

Myth: Nearsighted people don’t need presbyopia glasses.
Fact: They might. If nearsightedness is mild and presbyopia is strong, close things will still blur.

Myth: Over-the-counter +200 works for +200 presbyopia.
Fact: Prescriptions depend on your existing vision. Get a custom one.

Presbyopia is normal with age. Talk to an eye doctor for the right fix.