Distance Vision Improving With Age

Ask an Eye M.D. Answer Archive

Question:
I'm 62 years old and my distance vision has improved without spectacles. Why is that?

Answer:
Some call this "second sight" which has a simple physiological explanation. As the lens of the eye hardens as we age (the predecessor of frank cataracts) it changes the way light is "bent" as it enters the eye much the way different prescriptions in a pair of glasses do. So if you were hyperopic (needed plus correction) and you start developing pre-cataract changes, your vision may temporarily go through a phase where either the near or distance vision gets better. Unfortunately as you continue to age, this process will make your overall vision worse and you will need cataract surgery. Enjoy it while you have it!

Answered by: Jeffrey Whitman, MD

Categories: Cataracts, Eye Conditions, Vision Correction

Have a question that hasn't been answered yet? Ask it!