It came with no warning like many other unwelcome signs of aging the year I turned 40. Apart from the slower metabolism, smaller appetite and crow’s feet, I found myself squinting at the newspapers and books with smaller prints. I thought that my eye power had increased, so I went to the optician to have my eyes checked.  It turned out that my optical power was pretty good but I have Presbyopia.

Presbyopia is a condition associated with the aging of the eye that results in progressively worsening ability to focus clearly on close objects. Symptoms include difficulty reading small print, having to hold reading material farther away, headaches, and eyestrain. Different people will have different degrees of problems.  Other types of refractive errors may exist at the same time as presbyopia.

Presbyopia happens to everyone at some point and sadly cannot be prevented, but not everyone wants to wear reading glasses or bifocals which can make even the youngest looking person feel old.  I didn’t get myself a pair of reading glasses for six years until recently when it got really annoying whenever I read the newspapers.

Even those who have never worn glasses may suddenly find they cannot read small print without it being at arm’s length when they reach age 40+. When this point is reached, denial is useless, like in my case; you need to consider reading glasses!  Those who have never needed glasses before will usually opt for a pair of reading glasses rather than bifocals or progressive lenses. These are necessary for those who need glasses to aid with distance as well as a near correction.

Signs of presbyopia include:

1. Holding reading materials at arm’s length
2. Blurred vision at normal reading distance
3. Eye fatigue
4. Headaches when doing close work

It’s true that the older we get, the more likely we are to need reading glasses, but not everyone does. Even those who have had Lasik surgery for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism may still need reading glasses as time goes by. Wearing reading glasses over contact lenses is also possible. Wearing contacts can correct Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism and some Presbyopia, but reading glasses may still be necessary for close work.

There’s no need to let the onset of presbyopia get you down. It happens to everyone and there are several options for correcting the issue without ever having to wear “readers” or bifocals. If you’re wondering if you have presbyopia and are interested in trying multifocal contact lenses to correct it, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor.