There are two main reasons you could be noticing a change in your near vision. But how do you know what it is? should you be worried? and most important, should you see the eye doctor?

If you are in your late 30's or early 40's and you are beginning to notice that reading has become difficult, chances are you are noticing the beginning signs of presbyopia. If you had great eyesight your entire life, and all of a sudden that dinner menu or newspaper is getting a little fuzzy, you can relax. There is nothing wrong with your eyes. Welcome to the presbyopia club.

Presbyopia is an effect of the lens inside your eye becoming more dense. It's official name is the crystalline lens and it allows us to focus from distance to near. This is possible because of the elasticity of the lens. As we approach the great age of 40, the crystalline lens has grown so dense that it begins to lose some of it's elasticity. This also explains why it strikes everybody right around the age of 40.

Presbyopia can be addressed in many ways. The simplest form of correction is with reading glasses. Simply slipping on a pair of readers will fix your near vision. Of course, don't expect to see anything in the distance if you are wearing reading glasses, unless they are bifocals or prescription progressive lenses.

an alternative method used in correcting presbyopia is with contact lenses. Lenses can be fit in a variety of ways. One widely used fitting style is mono-vision; where one eye is corrected for distance vision and the other for near. Alternatively, consider multifocal contacts for a progressive style of vision.

There are even some surgeries being tested to correct your presbyopia. CK surgery is the most common and widely used corneal refractive surgery used for presbyopia.

So what if you are having trouble seeing up close, but you are no where near 40 years of age? Most likely you are farsighted, also known as hyperopia. In essence your eye, from the surface of the cornea to the retina, is too short and light rays do not come to a crisp focus. Theoretically, they focus behind the eye. Because of the power of the crystalline lens in young people, mildly hyperopic kids and teenagers don't even notice a vision correction is beneficial. Hyperopia that is left not corrected can lead to excess eye fatigue and headaches.

So should you see an eye doctor? Answer, yes! While every symptom explained in this article is strictly refractive and is not cause for major concern; only your eye care provider can be entirely certain that your eyes are healthy. Your vision is only part of the story, your eye exam is critical to your overall health.

This information is brought to you by Gordon Kaye; a person who has presbyopic eyes. He recently accepted his vision. After years of denial, Gordon has put together http://www.eyeonpresbyopia.com to keep himself and other presbyopic folks in the know when it comes to their near vision.