Over the past few months my close-up vision has gotten really bad. Small print on products or my smartphone - everything's become blurry. My friend says that's a bit early for my age, but I'm not sure.
Presbyopia starts for some people already in their mid-20s, for others not until they're 40 - it's just really individual. So at 30 you're not too early, even if it's not the norm. Has it actually gotten worse for you just in the last few months, or has it been more of a gradual process that you're only really noticing now? And have you noticed anything else - like getting tired faster in the evenings when you're reading, or that it's particularly bad in dim light?
Don't rush off to the optometrist before you've checked your screen brightness and how close you hold your phone to your face - sometimes it's just eye strain from holding it too near. But if things are actually blurry everywhere and not just on the screen, then an eye test makes sense, yeah. At 30 earlier than some people, but not impossible - when it happens is down to genetics and has nothing to do with your age alone. A trick a lot of people don't know about: try letting your eyes look into the distance more often during the day, especially when you're on your phone a lot - that sometimes slows down how it develops.
It can definitely be normal, but I'd really get that checked out. At 30 it's not exactly the norm, but it's not abnormal either - there's a huge range when it comes to people. Some notice it earlier, some later, and your friend just got lucky that it started for him later.
But here's what I'm skeptical about: before you get yourself a reading glass, you should rule out that it's not something else. Not drinking enough water, too much screen time without breaks, bad lighting when reading - all that can cause similar symptoms. That doesn't mean the other approach is wrong, but it makes sense to try a few things yourself first. Check your posture with your phone, test the brightness settings, deliberately take it easy for a few days.
But if that doesn't help and it stays that way for weeks, then go see an optician or eye doctor. It's not a big deal - a reading glass isn't a problem and doesn't cost the earth. But get a diagnosis so you know what you're dealing with. I wouldn't ignore it just because it's "too early."
Log into answer.
