Presbyopia is a condition in which the lens of the eye loses its ability to focus, making it hard to see objects up close.
Presbyopia is a natural part of the aging process and affects 100 percent of the population by age 50.
The lens of your eye needs to change shape in order to focus on objects that are close. The ability of the lens to change shape is because of the elasticity of the lens. As you age, this elasticity slowly decreases, resulting in the slow loss of your ability to focus on objects that are close.
Presbyopia Diagnosis
Your health care provider will perform an eye exam to determine a prescription for glasses or contact lenses.
Presbyopia Treatment
There is no cure for presbyopia. As your ability to see items close up worsens, you may need glasses or contact lenses to read.
For some people, adding bifocals to an existing lens prescription may be the best solution. Bifocal lenses allow you to view distance objects through the top portion of your glasses and near objects through the bottom portion of your glasses.
Some people who use contact lenses choose to correct one eye for near vision and one eye for distance vision. This is called “monovision.” This can eliminate the need for bifocals but can affect depth perception.
It is important to note that having laser correction surgery will not prevent you from developing presbyopia as you age.