Presbyopia is a condition associated with the progressive loss of near vision. It typically appears after the age of 40, causing difficulty in reading, especially under low-light conditions.
Presbyopia occurs in all individuals, regardless of gender or whether they already have another refractive error (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism). In many myopic patients, presbyopia symptoms appear much later than the age of 40 and can be partially compensated by removing their myopic glasses. In people with hyperopia, presbyopia may appear at an earlier age.
Presbyopia is caused by a reduction in the eye’s ability to accommodate, that is, the elasticity of the crystalline lens (located behind the iris), which helps it focus on near objects. This loss of flexibility occurs due to aging. As a result, the eyes become less capable of properly adjusting to focus on distances of 30–50 centimeters.
Presbyopia cannot be fully cured or prevented. After the age of 40, the eye’s ability to automatically adjust for near and far distances decreases, either due to the loss of lens elasticity or the aging of the ciliary muscle, which causes atrophy. Therefore, presbyopia is an evolving condition rather than a static one. For this reason, its treatment is more challenging compared to the management of other refractive errors.