# Eye Exams Over 40

The forties bring presbyopia, the age related loss of near focus, and mark the point at which glaucoma and other conditions become worth screening for actively. It is the decade to establish a documented baseline.

The change most people notice first is holding things further away to read. That is presbyopia, and it happens to everyone regardless of what distance vision has been. The lens inside the eye gradually loses flexibility from childhood onwards, and somewhere in the forties it crosses the threshold where near focus stops being effortless.

It is entirely benign and completely correctable. Reading glasses, progressives, occupational lenses and multifocal contact lenses all address it, and the right answer depends mainly on what you do all day.

The less visible reason forty matters is baseline. Glaucoma risk begins rising, and glaucoma is diagnosed by detecting change over time. A documented baseline at forty makes every subsequent examination more informative than it could otherwise be.


## Questions and answers
**Why do I suddenly need reading glasses?**

Presbyopia progresses gradually but crosses a threshold noticeably. For months you compensate by holding things further away and using more light, then one day arms are not long enough. The change was gradual, the recognition is sudden.

**Will reading glasses make my eyes worse?**

No. This is one of the most persistent myths in eye care. Presbyopia progresses on its own schedule whether or not you correct it, and going without simply means eyestrain and headaches.

**Progressives or reading glasses?**

Progressives suit people who need distance correction too and want one pair. Reading glasses suit people whose distance vision is good. Many people over forty benefit from a dedicated computer pair alongside either.

**Should I be screened for glaucoma at forty?**

Screening forms part of every comprehensive examination here, and from forty it becomes particularly worth having documented, because early detection depends on comparing against a baseline.

## Related

- https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/eyeglasses-and-eyewear/progressive-lenses
- https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/contact-lenses/multifocal-contact-lenses
- https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/specialty-eye-care/glaucoma-management
- https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/comprehensive-eye-exams/adult-eye-exams

---## About this practice
Arizona's Vision Eye Care Center, 15215 S 48th St Ste 180, Phoenix, AZ 85044.
Phone (480) 706-3937. Monday to Thursday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Independent optometry practice, founded 1994. One location. Does not perform refractive or cataract surgery.
This site publishes no star rating and no review count, because the figures across the practice's own properties contradict one another and cannot be verified.
This page is general information, not medical advice.