What is presbyopia? 

Find yourself ‘long-arming’ when using your phone or reading menus? There is a chance that you may have presbyopia. But this isn’t something to worry about as presbyopia is a natural part of ageing and something that most of us will experience at some point in our lives. Thankfully, it can be easily managed – it’s just a case of finding what works best for you. 

What are the symptoms of presbyopia 

It’s pretty easy to recognise the signs of presbyopia. If you’ve got it, things may get blurry at a normal reading distance, and you’ll find yourself stretching your arm out to read things like text messages or the newspaper. You may also get eye strain or headaches with presbyopia. 

What are the causes? 

The flexible lens at the front of your eye allows you to see clearly both up close and far away. As you hit your 40s, this lens naturally starts to lose its flexibility, which affects your ability to focus. 

Solutions for presbyopia 

Presbyopia can be corrected, but is unfortunately not reversable. After an eye test, your optician may suggest you consider: 

Reading glasses

For many people, a pair of prescription reading glasses makes close-up tasks feel effortless and more comfortable. We can help you find a pair that not only sharpens your vision, but also suits your style perfectly. 

Multifocal lenses – bifocal and varifocal lenses 

Multifocal lenses is an umbrella term that includes both bifocals and varifocals. Bifocal lenses have two different areas of vision, divided by a horizontal line across the lens. The top portion helps with distance vision, while the bottom section handles close-up tasks such as reading. Varifocal lenses (also known as progressive lenses) don't have a separating line – instead, they gradually progress from top to bottom to optimise distance vision (top of the lens), intermediate vision (middle of the lens – for tasks such as computer work), and close-up vision (bottom of the lens). Find out more about bifocal and varifocal lenses here. 

Multifocal contact lenses 

Unlike varifocal glasses (where you have to move your head to look through the different prescriptions in your glasses), with multifocal contact lenses the prescriptions are all in front of your pupil.  

Whichever option you choose, it’s important to remember that presbyopia will change over time. That’s why it’s important you keep up-to-date with your eye tests so your prescription is always as accurate as possible.