Diagnosis

Presbyopia is diagnosed by a basic eye exam, which includes a refraction assessment and an eye health exam.

A refraction assessment determines if you have nearsightedness or farsightedness, astigmatism, or presbyopia. Your doctor may use various instruments and ask you to look through several lenses to test your distance and close-up vision.

Your eye doctor likely will put drops in your eyes to dilate your pupils for the eye health exam. This may make your eyes more light sensitive for a few hours after the exam. Dilation enables your doctor to more easily view the inside of your eyes.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that adults have a complete eye exam every:

• Five to 10 years under age 40
• Two to four years between ages 40 and 54
• One to three years between ages 55 and 64
• One to two years beginning at age 65

You may need more-frequent exams if you have risk factors for eye disease or you need glasses or contact lenses.