Are you over 40 and suddenly feel like your straining to read things right in front of your face? Eye experts at Mayo Clinic say it’s actually a normal — and sometimes annoying — condition of the eye that is a part of aging.
If you’re over 40 and your vision is starting to get fuzzy, you’re not alone.
“It happens to 100 percent of humans. I have never yet seen a patient who does not become presbyopic. That’s really the term that we use for that,” says Dr. Muriel Schornack, a Mayo Clinic optometrist.
Presbyopia is a gradual loss of your eyes’ ability to focus on nearby objects. It usually becomes noticeable in your early 40s and worsens until your mid-60s. It’s caused by a hardening of the lens of your eye as you age. As your lens becomes less flexible, it can no longer change shape to focus on close-up images.
A basic eye exam can confirm presbyopia. Eyeglasses or contact lenses can correct the condition.
