Reading Glasses / Presbyopia

Like people, eyes come in all shapes and sizes.  Some people have longer eyes, others shorter.  The shape of the cornea can vary.  The focussing of the eye relies on the shape of the cornea, the strength of the lens and the length of the eye.  A “normal” sighted or emmetropic person has relaxed focus for distance vision.  Near vision is provided by the lens of the eye changing its shape or accommodating to provide close-up focus. 

A “short-sighted” or myopic eye is generally a longer eye.  To bring the distance into focus on the retina a minus glasses or lens is required.  Short-sighted people can see well up close-up without glasses.  The exact position of their best focus depends on the degree of myopia.

“Long-sighted” people often have a shorter eye.  They require a plus lens to allow accurate distance focussing.  A younger person can often provide this focussing with their own natural lens accommodation.

It is normal for the eye’s lens to slowly lose the ability to focus (accommodate) with age..  As the lens fibres become less malleable, it becomes more difficult to focus the lens.  It becomes more difficult to focus on near objects and the eye does not adjust as easily to a change in focus.  People may notice that they are having to hold reading material further away.  Sometimes the distance will be blurring after a period of reading.  This process is known as presbyopia. It is the reason why most people require some form of reading glasses over the age of 40 – 50.

If you have persistent pain or sudden change in your vision, report this to the doctor immediately via the Surgery, the Hospital or the Sydney Eye Hospital.

If you have concerns or questions, please call.