Presbyopia

Presbyopia is often referred to as the "short arm syndrome" because you lose your ability to read things close up and need to hold them further from you to focus more clearly.

Presbyopia occurs when the lens loses its elasticity, making it difficult to see things close.

Presbyopia usually becomes noticeable in the early to mid-forties and is a natural part of the aging process of the eye. People often confuse it with a disease, which it is not, and believe that it can be prevented, which it cannot. It's all part of the aging process and sooner or later everyone gets it.

Presbyopia can be detected with a comprehensive eye exam with your doctor.

Treatment

The treatment for presbyopia is usually very simple. If the distance vision is good and there is only difficulty seeing up close, reading glasses are usually the easiest solution. For others, bifocals (glasses with reading and distance correction) or separate pairs of reading and distance glasses are necessary. Another option is monovision: adjusting one eye for distance vision, and the fellow eye for reading vision. This can be done with contact lenses or permanently with refractive surgery.