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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Presbyopia — the gradual loss of your eyes' ability to focus actively on nearby objects — is a not-so-subtle reminder that you've reached middle age. A natural, often annoying part of aging, presbyopia usually becomes noticeable in your early to mid-40s and continues to worsen until around age 60.
You may become aware of presbyopia when you start holding books and newspapers at arm's length to be able to read them. If you're nearsighted, you might temporarily manage presbyopia by reading without your glasses.
A basic eye exam can confirm presbyopia. You can correct the condition with nonprescription reading glasses or prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. Surgery also may be an option.
- Optometric clinical practice guideline: Care of the patient with presbyopia. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/documents/CPG-17.pdf. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- Eye exams. Eye care America: The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.eyecareamerica.org/eyecare/treatment/eye-exams.cfm. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- Adult vision: 41 to 60 years of age. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/x9453.xml. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- Learning about LASIK. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik. Accessed March 11, 2009
- Pepose, J. Maximizing satisfaction with presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses: The missing links. American Journal of Ophthalmology. 2008;146:641.
- Questions and answers about refractive errors. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/CanWeSee/qa_refractive.asp. Accessed March 11, 2009.
