At what age can I expect to need reading glasses?

As we get older, we may start to notice quite a few changes in ourselves. Not only can we expect the number of wrinkles on our face to multiply, our joints to weaken and our hearing the begin to wain, but we most likely will also soon see a significant difference in our quality of vision. 

This can cause a number of other “side effects”. For example, squinting at receipts and menus will likely become an increasingly common occurrence. All of these things, we can simply put down to getting older – or those of us who are still in denial may continue to blame poor lighting – but the accurate medical term for this natural ageing of the eyes is presbyopia.

The term ‘presbyopia’ literally means “ageing eye”, which makes sense, eh? Technically, it refers to the loss of elasticity that occurs in the eye’s lens as we get older. This makes it increasingly difficult to focus on objects that are close to us (including those receipts and menus).

Presbyopia, like many things that come with ageing – namely, a decline in memory, a bad back, and finding yourself watching more game shows – is not a disease. All of these things are simply a natural part of the ageing process and the first step to dealing with it is simply accepting that it’s going to happen.

Managing Presbyopia (and other signs of ageing)

Many people find the preferable way to deal with getting older is to simply ignore it. All those new niggles and problems will hopefully just go away on their own, so there’s no need to question them, right?

The health-savvy among us, however, will take a different approach. Yes, the gradual decline in our body’s functioning may well be a fact of life – but that doesn’t mean that things can’t be done to manage it. These people often take action to preserve what they have (and in many cases, even turn back the years!).

Like all signs of ageing, the onset of presbyopia, the speed of its development, and its severity can vary significantly from person to person. Nonetheless, until fairly recently, age-related vision loss was thought to be out of our control, dictated by genetics, environment, and dumb luck.

But thanks to developments in Laser Eye Surgery, almost all of us now have the potential to sustain high-quality vision long after presbyopia takes hold.

The question is, when will you experience presbyopia?

As we mentioned above, the age of onset can vary significantly, however, the signs of presbyopia typically become noticeable when we get to 40-50 years of age.

The early signs typically manifest as difficulties distinguishing objects and characters in your near field of vision. You may also begin to experience headaches when working at a computer or reading a book. And finally, the need to massively increase the font on your mobile, hold the newspaper further away and squint to read the fine print will develop.

The onset and severity of presbyopia may also be influenced by a number of variables. For example, the overall health of your vision can significantly influence the onset of presbyopia.  For example, if you already have a long-sighted refractive error, a job that requires a lot of close-up work, or your eyes have been exposed to a lot of UV rays, presbyopia may develop sooner.

On the other hand, if you have always had good vision and have taken good care of your eyes, you may hold off the development of presbyopia for a while longer – but not forever!

The time of onset and the exact symptoms may well vary, but once you start to see the signs, it’s safe to say the effects will only worsen over time. For many people, the solution to the age-related decline in vision is to invest in a pair (or three) of reading glasses.

PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision

But there is a better way to retain youthful vision: PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision. First developed in 2005, this revolutionary technique has liberated thousands of people from the limiting effects of presbyopia and the frustrations of traditional solutions like reading glasses.

This revolutionary technique corrects your vision, allowing you to see clearly both up close and at a distance, even after presbyopia has taken hold. Find out more about PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision for presbyopia.

If you would like to know if PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision could help you to turn back the years on your vision, get in touch with one of our clinic coordinators. Alternatively, Book a Consultation today to find out if you could be suitable for treatment.