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Presbyopia: Is It Me, or Is the Print Getting Smaller These Days?

When the age monster comes calling on baby-boomers, he usually steals away some of their ability to do things the way they used to—including the ability to read fine print. The 40-and-over crowd is finding that their arms are “growing shorter” as words become difficult to see up close, and they must hold small items at arm’s length in order to be able to view them clearly.

The Greek word for “aging eye,” presbyopia is the most prevalent eye condition in America, affecting most people after age 40 and everyone by age 51. Presbyopia causes near vision to fade with age, making it difficult to see things up-close. An estimated 90 million baby boomers either have presbyopia or will develop the condition in the next 10 years. These people struggle to read or do hobby work and must rely on magnifiers or magnifying reading glasses for even the most mundane of daily tasks, like checking their watch. They often own multiple pairs of reading glasses (called “readers,” “half-eyes” or “granny glasses”) and magnifiers to assist them with their up-close activities and hobbies.

“Presbyopia is the one inescapable vision disorder that will eventually affect us all,” said Daniel S. Durrie, M.D. associate clinical professor, University of Kansas and medical monitor for the FDA clinical trial of presbyopia.

The eye’s lens stiffens with age, so it is less able to focus when you view something up close. The result is blurred near vision. (Illustration: Varilux)

What Causes Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is caused by an age-related process. This is different from astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness, which are related to the shape of the eyeball and caused by genetic factors, disease, or trauma. Presbyopia is generally believed to stem from a gradual loss of flexibility in the natural lens inside your eye.

These age-related changes occur within the proteins in the lens, making the lens harder and less elastic with the years. Age-related changes also take place in the muscle fibers surrounding the lens. With less elasticity, the eye has a harder time focusing up close. Other, less popular theories exist as well.

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