Which statement best describes presbyopia?

Which statement best describes presbyopia?

• A. It is increased intraocular pressure causing glaucoma
• B. It is age-related loss of accommodation leading to blurry near vision
• C. It is degeneration of photoreceptors in the macula
• D. It is permanent loss of peripheral vision

Answer: (B)

Presbyopia is an age-related decline in the eye’s ability to accommodate, meaning the lens becomes less flexible and cannot thicken enough to increase its optical power for near objects. As the lens hardens with age, the ciliary muscle can still try to adjust focus, but the lens can’t change shape as much, so near vision becomes blurry. This is why people often start needing reading glasses in their 40s or 50s. It’s a normal aging change, distinct from other eye problems like glaucoma (high eye pressure often affecting peripheral vision), macular degeneration (loss of central vision from macular damage), or peripheral vision loss from other causes.

Presbyopia is an age-related decline in the eye’s ability to accommodate, meaning the lens becomes less flexible and cannot thicken enough to increase its optical power for near objects. As the lens hardens with age, the ciliary muscle can still try to adjust focus, but the lens can’t change shape as much, so near vision becomes blurry. This is why people often start needing reading glasses in their 40s or 50s. It’s a normal aging change, distinct from other eye problems like glaucoma (high eye pressure often affecting peripheral vision), macular degeneration (loss of central vision from macular damage), or peripheral vision loss from other causes.