Background

Someone who has trouble seeing distant objects is said to have myopia. Myopia is the condition in which incoming light does not directly focus on the retina but in front of it. An optometrist can easily treat myopia by prescribing glasses or contact lenses. In older adults, presbyopia becomes more frequent. Presbyopia is the condition in which incoming light focuses behind the retina, leading to difficulty focusing on close-up objects. People with presbyopia need glasses to read small print. Even adults who have had 20/20 vision their entire lives are likely to develop presbyopia as they age into their 40s and 50s.

In this activity, you can simulate how a scene might appear to someone with both myopia and presbyopia. You can even put glasses on to correct the person's vision, and it is here you will see the difference between myopia and presbyopia.

Instructions

Full Screen Mode

To see the illustration in full screen, which is recommended, press the Full Screen button, which appears at the top of the page.

Illustration Tab

Settings

Below is a list of the ways that you can alter the illustration. The settings include the following:

Choose Eye Condition: Select the type of eye condition. Normal allows you to see near and far. Myopic can see near objects clearly. Presbyopic can see far objects clearly. The glasses selections put on glasses appropriate to that condition.

Reset

Pressing this button restores the settings to their default values but does not change the image.