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From: gino@voder.UUCP (Gino Bloch)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Eyesight & Aging
Message-ID: <541@voder.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 3-Dec-84 19:40:35 EST
Article-I.D.: voder.541
Posted: Mon Dec  3 19:40:35 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Dec-84 05:47:46 EST
References: <16122@lanl.ARPA> <958@aecom.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: National Semiconductor, Santa Clara
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[bifocal line]

> > person is nearsighted--with no other complications--then when
> > he/she gets older, he/she won't have to wear glasses any more,
> 
> IF it is only nearsightedness, then YES.  The eyes become progressively
> more farsighted with age, hence the need for reading glasses. However, if
> you start out nearsighted, then the aging process might bring the eyes
> back into the normal range.

The confusion here is in the meaning of `farsighted'.  To an optometrist,
it means `requiring adaptation (focussing action) to see to infinity'.
This does NOT increase with age as a general thing.  What DOES increase
with age is loss of ability to focus close - loss of adaptation.  This
is called `presbyopia', the other is `hyper[metr]opia'.  Basically, the
far limit does its own thing while the near limit approaches it from this
side.  Thus most aging myopes (me included) wear bifocals.
-- 
Gene E. Bloch (...!nsc!voder!gino)
Mr Humility