Ever seen friends in their mid forties struggling to read the menu, needing to push it further away, complaining their arms aren`t long enough? They have presbyopia, or that middle aged affliction that eventually affects us all-difficulty focusing close up and a need for reading glasses.
Why it actually occurs is controversial and as a result a permanent and effective cure has so far proved elusive, in contrast to today`s extremely successful and safe laser vision correction treatments for other focusing problems . Current theories include ageing changes in the eye’s natural lens, and weakening of the focusing muscle which acts on the lens.
Most people I see in the clinic start to have difficulty reading at around the age of 45, give or take 2-3 years. There are of course exceptions. People who are long sighted have difficulty seeing close up at an earlier age. In contrast the nearsighted see better for reading by taking their glasses off.
Usually a transitional period of 2-3 years occurs when dependence on reading glasses gradually increases. Whilst at first difficulty may be experienced when tired, or reading small print in poor lightening (that’s why straining to decipher a menu in dimly lit restaurants late at night is often an early sign), slowly the need becomes greater until all reading material is blurred without glasses.
Acquiring you first pair of reading glasses is not just a technical issue, but also a psychological one. For many the need for readers is the first concrete physical sign that middle age has arrived, and eternal youth is, after all, a myth. Reluctance to take the plunge and buy that first pair is understandable. When to do so is a lifestyle issue. Delaying the inevitable is not damaging, nor beneficial, but if it makes you feel younger for a little longer, that’s fine!
For people who have good vision in both eyes for distance, the cheap “off the peg” glasses available in pharmacies and elsewhere are a good choice. Start with the weakest pair labeled +1 and work up until you find a comfortable pair, holding some reading matter at your usual reading distance. For others who already wear glasses, or can’t find a comfortable pair, a trip to your eye professional will be needed. Your optometrist will discuss the pros and cons of multifocal and bifocal lenses according to your lifestyle needs. Whatever, starting in middle age, don’t forget to visit your eye doctor regularly for a general eye health check.
Copyright All Rights Reserved 2005
Dr Andrew Fink MD for
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Reading Glasses? Not Me!
Eye Clinic,
Medical Centre
88 Ahuza St
Ra'anana, Israel
