Struggling with the Fine Print

Difficulty Reading Fine Print

Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is the inability to focus on objects that are near. Those who are farsighted may have great difficulty making out fine print, or other details that must be viewed up close, particularly when they get over the age of 40. Most often, this inability to make out fine details up close is due hardening of the lens as we age. This hardening of the lens makes it progressively more difficult to change the shape of the lens. The ability to change the shape of the lens provides the ability to focus at distance and near with a single prescription. As we age, the lens hardens and becomes more like a rock candy than a soft gummy bear. The decreased elasticity of the lens results in the problem we call presbyopia. Those in their 40's with good distance vision, will almost always require glasses to help them see up close.

Treatment

There are many options available for the treatment of presbyopia. There is no single option that works best for every individual. There are a number of very good options. Just like a carpenter employs different tools for different tasks, you may find that there are certain solutions that work best for you in certain circumstances. Talk to your eye doctor about the visual tasks that you need help with. Your eye doctor can work with you to determine what solutions may be best for you. Options include glasses (over the counter reading glasses, bifocals, trifocals, and progressive lenses), contacts (monovision, multifocal contacts), and refractive surgery. For those with computer vision trouble, computer glasses can help eliminate neck and eye strain. A skilled eye doctor can provide specific recommendations to best meet your visual needs.

To learn more about prebyopia you can read an article from the Mayo Clinic, or the American Optometric Association.