What is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is sometimes jokingly called “short arm syndrome.” It's a problem common among people in their 40s and older, who have trouble focusing on near objects, and may complain that their arms are too short to hold a book at the right distance from their eyes! If you have to lean forward to reach your mouse, or need extra light to read a restaurant menu, you might already have it. As we get older, our eyes become less flexible, and all of us are vulnerable to presbyopia, which occurs when the less-flexible lens can't adjust to focus on objects close at hand. If you're farsighted, you're likely to experience presbyopia's effects sooner than someone who is nearsighted. It also occurs earlier in women and in people whose jobs demand a lot of close vision.