Survey finds many Americans frustrated by blurry vision

From texting challenges to misplaced reading glasses, the impact of age-related blurry near vision on patients' daily life can be pervasive.

Despite the high prevalence of vision issues like presbyopia, these challenges can still come as a surprise to patients who develop presbyopia.

In fact, according to a recent survey commissioned by Allergan, an AbbVie company, of 1000 adults ages 40 to 55 who reported having near vision issues, 65% of survey respondents said that they were not prepared to have their eyesight worsen as they got older, and a quarter admitted they were in denial that their near vision was getting worse.

“While most people have not heard of the medical term for age-related blurry near vision, presbyopia is a natural part of aging and affects approximately 128 million adults in the U.S.,” said optometrist Selina McGee, OD, fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. “The survey results reinforce what I hear from patients with near vision issues in my practice every day – that these challenges are increasingly frustrating, and impact their daily lives, especially when they are looking at their cell phones, reading, or trying to see a menu in a dimly lit restaurant.”

As the pandemic increased the prevalence of Zoom calls and virtual gatherings, 84% of survey respondents reported that it was more frustrating to have blurry near vision when trying to read than having a video call freeze.

There are options available to manage near vision issues, but they can come with challenges of their own.

More than half of those surveyed with reading glasses (51%) admitted they lose or misplace them at least once a week; and over a quarter (26%) said they lose them daily.

Moreover, for many adults, presbyopia and blurry near vision can impact the activities they enjoy most.

In fact, half of survey respondents admitted they decreased or gave up on a hobby because they could no longer see well up close.

Patientes also can be invited to visit BlurryNearVision.com, a website from Allergan that offers information on presbyopia.

The site features an interactive component that shows how people see text up close when they have presbyopia and a quiz to uncover how the condition could be affecting their daily lives.

Visitors can use these tools as a starting point when talking to their ophthalmologist or eyecare professional about their symptoms.

The online Blurry Near Vision survey, commissioned by Allergan and conducted by Wakefield Research, was fielded from Aug. 2–9, to 1000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 40 – 55 who reported having near vision issues.

It was not confirmed whether the respondents were diagnosed with presbyopia.