Presbyopia, also known as the “short arm syndrome,”
is a term used to describe an eye in which the natural lens can no
longer accommodate. Accommodation is the eye’s way of changing
its focusing distance: the lens thickens, increasing its ability to
focus close-up. At about the age of 40, the lens becomes less flexible
and accommodation is gradually lost. It’s a normal process that
everyone eventually experiences.
Most people first notice difficulty reading very fine print such as
the phone book, a medicine bottle, or the stock market page. Print
seems to have less contrast and the eyes become easily fatigued when
reading a book or computer screen. Early on, holding reading material
further away helps for many patients. But eventually, reading correction
in the form of reading glasses, bifocals, or contact lenses is needed
for close work. However, nearsighted people can simply take their
glasses off because they see best close-up. |