Eye condition · Focusing problems
Presbyopia (age-related near vision loss)
Presbyopia is the gradual loss of close-up focus that starts in the 40s. Learn the signs and every option, from readers to progressive lenses and surgery.
What it is
To focus on something close, a small muscle in the eye changes the shape of the flexible lens behind the pupil. With age, the lens becomes stiffer and can no longer change shape enough. Close objects then stay blurry. This is presbyopia, and it happens to everyone.
Symptoms
- Holding books, menus and phones farther away to read them
- Needing brighter light to read
- Eye strain or headaches after close work
- Blur when switching focus from far to near
Who is affected
Everyone, usually from their early to mid 40s. People who are farsighted may notice it earlier. Nearsighted people may find they can read by taking their glasses off.
How it is diagnosed
A routine eye exam tests your near vision and works out an ADD power, the extra reading strength added to your prescription. Try our near vision card to see where you stand.
Treatment options
- Reading glasses, ready-made if your distance vision is good and both eyes are similar
- Bifocals, with a visible line between distance and near zones
- Progressive lenses, which change power gradually from distance to near with no line
- Office or computer lenses designed for desk and screen distances
- Multifocal or monovision contact lenses
- Prescription eye drops that temporarily shrink the pupil to improve near focus for some hours
- Surgery, such as monovision laser correction or refractive lens exchange, for some people
Living with presbyopia
Good lighting, larger text on devices and keeping a pair of readers where you need them make daily life easier. Your near prescription will likely change every couple of years until about 60. The years after 40 are also when early signs of glaucoma and other diseases begin to appear, so keep up regular eye exams.
Questions people ask
At what age does presbyopia start?
Most people notice it between about 40 and 45. It keeps progressing gradually until around 60, which is why reading prescriptions get stronger over those years.
Can eye exercises prevent presbyopia?
No. Presbyopia comes from the lens inside the eye becoming less flexible, which exercises cannot reverse.