What is Presbyopia?

With increasing age the ability of the human eye lens to automatically focus differing distances decreases. The lens loses flexibility. Every normal-sighted (emmetropia) person as of the ages of 40 - 45 is in need of reading glasses for close range activities. Slightly near-sighted people are in a life-long need of visual aids (glasses or contact lenses) when looking at a distance.

However, slightly near-sighted people have the opportunity of being capable of reading without any glasses up until old age. Thereto all they have to do is to remove the distance glasses. Once the slight near-sightedness is compensated by a laser surgery one can see clearly at a distance.

With increasing age yet presbyopia arises, i.e. reading glasses become necessary.