Presbyopia and Diseases of the Eye in Late Life

Advancing age is accompanied by both normal and disease-related changes in vision. Age-related eye diseases and adaptation to age-related vision are the focus of this entry. (There are congenital eye disorders, and eye disease that may develop early in the life span; lifelong adaptation to resulting vision loss in these cases is not discussed in this entry.)

The most common normal, age-related change in vision is presbyopia, blurred near vision, which occurs at about 40 years of age. Presbyopia may first be noticed when vision becomes blurred when reading, sewing, or working at a computer. Presbyopia occurs when the lens of the eye becomes dense, yellow, and less elastic, which makes it harder to focus. This condition is correctable with the use of reading glasses, bifocals, ...