Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site voder.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!mhuxn!houxm!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!nsc!voder!gino 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 Lines: 20 [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