What’s going on with my eyes?

Some people know they need reading glasses. They can almost tell you to the day when they noticed they couldn’t read the fine print quite as well any more.

Other people resist it. They’re the ones squinting at the newspaper they have held out at arm’s length.
No matter when you realise it, it’s important to know that this is a natural occurrence that most people experience, in fact almost everyone from the age of 40.

Around this age the lens behind your iris (the coloured part), noticeably thickens. This lens, known as the crystalline lens, is the one that adjusts your focus from distance to close up and throughout your life it grows new layers, becoming denser and thicker over time.

This natural process is called ‘presbyopia’ and whilst it’s been happening all along, most people do reach a point where it starts to challenge their eyesight in certain conditions, for example in dim light or when focusing on fine print.

When you first notice a slight difficulty in focusing close up, a low strength pair of reading glasses will provide an easy and effective remedy.

The progressive lack of near vision will most likely continue over time and is again part of this natural process of your eye’s lens thickening. Whilst it is no reason for concern and higher strength reading glasses are designed to assist with this progression, you should also ensure you receive regular check ups from an eye doctor.

What strength glasses do I need?

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* This article is to serve as an information resource only and is in no way intended to act as a substitution for regular visits to your eye doctor.