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Presbyopia (prez-bee-OH-pee-uh) is a visual disorder that often appears when you reach middle age, usually in your forties. It's not a disease but, rather, a condition caused by the natural aging process of the eye, so it can't be prevented or cured. Presbyopia causes the crystalline (KRIS-tuh-lin) lens of your eye to harden, losing some of its elasticity. This can make it difficult for the lens to accommodate light, causing the eye to become unable to focus sharply, especially for near vision. Don't confuse it with hyperopia (hy-per-OH-pee-uh), or farsightedness, a condition of the cornea, which can be corrected with surgery. Presbyopia may seem to occur suddenly, but the actual loss of lens flexibility may take place over a number of years. If you've noticed that you have a tendency to hold reading materials farther away, you may be getting presbyopia. Other symptoms include feeling that your eyes are fatigued or contracting headaches when you're doing close-up work. To help you deal with presbyopia, your eye doctor can prescribe corrective lenses, including reading glasses, bifocals, trifocals, or contact lenses. New advances is lens technology for those with presbyopia can allow you to wear glasses and see near, far, and in-between without any distracting lines. You may need to wear your corrective lenses only for close work, such as reading. Because presbyopia can complicate other common vision conditions-- such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism (uh-STIG-muh-tiz-um)-- your eye doctor can determine specific lenses to allow you to see more clearly and comfortably. Keep in mind that presbyopia will have an ongoing effect on your eyes, so your corrective lens prescription may need to be changed over time, as a result.
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