Images supplied
Wrinkles might get the attention and grey hairs might send some of us reaching for the dye, but there is another sign of ageing that can become difficult to ignore once you enter your 40s.
Suddenly, restaurant menus need to be held a little further away. Reading in dim lighting becomes harder. Your phone might need to move back a few centimetres before the words come into focus.
It is called presbyopia, and while the name may be unfamiliar, the condition certainly isn’t.
New research from Specsavers found almost 84% of Australians surveyed had never heard the term, despite the age-related change in vision eventually affecting almost everyone. The research found deterioration in eyesight was the biggest ageing concern among Australians aged 40 to 59, nominated by 47.4% of respondents.
That put it well ahead of wrinkles, at 19.2%, and grey hair, at 15.1%.
Presbyopia is a natural age-related change that makes it increasingly difficult for the eyes to focus on objects up close.
It generally starts becoming noticeable around the age of 40 as the lens inside the eye gradually becomes harder and less flexible, reducing its ability to change shape and focus at close distances. Healthdirect says almost everyone will experience changes associated with presbyopia after about 40.
One of the most recognisable signs is finding yourself holding a book, phone or menu further away to read it clearly. Other symptoms can include blurry close-up vision, difficulty reading small print or seeing in poor light, tired eyes and headaches after periods of close-up work.
It can be particularly noticeable when moving between viewing something close and something further away, with the eyes taking longer to adjust. While those changes can seem to appear suddenly, presbyopia develops gradually as part of the normal ageing process.
And unlike some of the more visible signs of getting older, it isn’t something that can be prevented.
For many people, it can be managed relatively simply with reading glasses, prescription glasses or contact lenses, depending on their vision and individual needs. The important part is not simply assuming every eyesight change is because you’re getting older.
Blurred vision can have numerous causes, including other eye conditions, so any new or noticeable change in vision should be assessed by an optometrist or appropriate health professional.
Healthdirect recommends people aged 40 and over generally have an eye test every two to three years, with more frequent testing recommended for people with certain risk factors or anyone experiencing changes to their vision.
So, if you’ve recently started stretching your arm across the dinner table just to decipher the menu, it might not be the lighting after all.
