Which condition affects near vision due to aging and often requires reading correction?

• A. Myopia
• B. Hyperopia
• C. Astigmatism
• D. Presbyopia

Answer: (D)

Presbyopia is the age-related loss of the eye’s ability to focus on close objects. As the lens becomes less flexible and the surrounding muscles coordinate less effectively, the eye’s accommodation declines, making near tasks harder. This typically shows up in the 40s or 50s, when people notice they can’t read small print without holding things farther away or needing reading glasses. Because it’s tied to aging of the eye’s focusing mechanism, presbyopia is the condition that commonly requires reading correction such as reading glasses, bifocals, or progressive lenses. By contrast, myopia mainly affects distance vision, hyperopia is farsightedness not specifically linked to aging in terms of near tasks, and astigmatism causes general blur from irregular curvature rather than a pure age-related decline in near focusing.