Today's Health Topic

Focus on easier reading

At some point, almost everyone needs reading glasses. As people age, their eyes naturally lose their ability to focus up close, a condition called presbyopia. This occurs when the lenses inside the eyes become less flexible.

Common signs of presbyopia include the need to hold reading material at arm's length, blurred vision, and eye fatigue when doing close-up work.

"Presbyopia can't be prevented or reversed," says Dr. Matthew Gardiner, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear. "The condition may worsen over time, to where you need to change your eyeglass prescription frequently. However, by age 60, most changes in near vision begin to slow, and you need upgrades less often."

Get an exam

All people over age 50 should have a periodic vision evaluation even if they don't notice any problems, says Dr. Gardiner. "Your optometrist can detect changes in your vision, even if you don't."

Besides prescribing reading glasses, or bifocals if you also have trouble seeing far away, your clinician can check for other eye problems, such as cataracts (clouding of the lens), macular degeneration, and glaucoma.