What is presbyopia?

Presbyopia is also known as age-related farsightedness since it usually affects people over the age of 40. Presbyopia is a gradual thickening and hardening of the lens of your eye. As the lens loses its elasticity, the ability to focus on nearby objects declines. This means that light does not focus properly on the light-sensitive tissue (retina) at the back of your eye. Instead, the light rays focus behind the retina, causing nearby objects to appear blurred. Presbyopia can be accompanied by other vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

Signs that you may be presbyopic include:

• Increasing difficulty focusing on nearby objects
• Holding books, newspapers, digital devices and so on at arm’s length to read them properly
• Frequent headaches and eye fatigue

In most cases, presbyopia can be corrected effectively with progressive lenses. There are highly specialized lenses developed for presbyopia available. These contain a plus prescription for near vision at the bottom of the lens and a prescription for distance vision at the top of the lens. 

If you are concerned about your vision or notice that it has changed, contact your nearest optician. Make it a routine to book an eye exam at least every second year, or more often if you are older than 40.