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Close up of a woman’s eye wearing a contact lens
Close up of a woman’s eye wearing a contact lens

Presbyopia

Presbyopia is an age-related condition that occurs when the eye cannot focus clearly, making close-up objects look blurred.

In young eyes, the lens inside the eye is flexible. It easily changes shape with the help of a circular muscle around it, called the ciliary muscle. This helps the eye focus on close-up objects.

Presbyopia happens when the lens inside the eye hardens and loses its flexibility. This makes it more difficult for the ciliary muscle to change the shape of the lens to correctly focus light on the retina, a layer of tissue in the back of the eye. This incorrectly focused light causes blurry vision.

Presbyopia happens naturally with age. It usually begins around age 40, even for people who have never experienced vision problems in the past.

Diagram of a Presbyopia eye with labels
Diagram of a Presbyopia eye with labels
Diagram of a Presbyopia eye with labels

Presbyopia is an age-related condition that occurs when the eye cannot focus clearly, making close-up objects look blurred.

In young eyes, the lens inside the eye is flexible. It easily changes shape with the help of a circular muscle around it, called the ciliary muscle. This helps the eye focus on close-up objects.

Presbyopia happens when the lens inside the eye hardens and loses its flexibility. This makes it more difficult for the ciliary muscle to change the shape of the lens to correctly focus light on the retina, a layer of tissue in the back of the eye. This incorrectly focused light causes blurry vision.

Presbyopia happens naturally with age. It usually begins around age 40, even for people who have never experienced vision problems in the past.

Did You Know?

Blurred vision up close due to presbyopia is different from blurred vision up close due to hyperopia, which can happen at any age.

Older woman sitting on couch using a digital tablet

Did You Know?

Older woman sitting on couch using a digital tablet
Older woman sitting on couch using a digital tablet

Blurred vision up close due to presbyopia is different from blurred vision up close due to hyperopia, which can happen at any age.

Contact lenses are an easy and convenient treatment option for presbyopia—even for those who also have astigmatism!link-out icon

Contact lenses are an easy and convenient treatment option for presbyopia—even for those who also have astigmatism!link-out icon

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